A Lovely Coincidence
by exiethewriter
Summary: (ON HIATUS) Multi-Chapter (High School, Godless AU) She stepped into his life by mere coincidence; and at first, he despised her presence, but with the warmth she brought to him, he came to learn that it was more than just a meeting by chance, and he began to understand what love truly felt like. Yatori.
1. Chapter 1: Just a Week Ago

**A/N: Here it is! Manga spoilers up to the God's Greatest Secret arc, so be warned.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Noragami, or its characters.**

Chapter 1: Just a Week Ago, I Didn't Even Know You

Trees flew past the window in a blur, while mountains took their time making their way across the landscape- ever changing, ever transforming. Sometimes, it seemed as though figures were entrapped within the confines of the clouded spring sky, ranging from odd human expressions to giant creatures in strange poses.

A truck drove down the highway alongside the picturesque landscape. Inside, three family members bounced along with the bumps in the road. They were busy marveling over the scenery and chatting about the journey.

The ride from Hiyori's rural hometown in the mountains to the lively city of Tokyo had taken several hours and multiple rants from her mother, instructing her on the customs and lifestyle of the city. For most of the drive, she had conversed with her mother- but once her brother, Masaomi, intervened, Hiyori put in her headphones in an attempt to block out the pair's eventual bickering. She gazed out the window at the passing scenery, which gradually morphed from rolling hills to rice fields to small towns- and finally, the city of Tokyo.

Hiyori gasped in awe, looking onto the new city that rose against the beautiful blue sky.

"I've never seen so many buildings in my life," she murmured, eyes widening.

"Yeah? Well, wait until you see your school," Masaomi replied. "That'll be a surprise."

"Oh, Hiyori!" her mother cried. "This must be such a new experience for you! It's like you're beginning a new life!"

Hiyori's eyebrows furrowed at the comment.

"A new life, huh?" she whispered.

* * *

"Honey, are all the boxes that you need in your room? The ones with the chargers, your stationery, clothes?" Hiyori's mother called from the hallway.

"Yes, Mother!" replied Hiyori, ripping off tape from the boxes to reveal her personal belongings that had been neatly stacked inside. Hiyori wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She was not one to slack on tedious jobs, but physical jobs tired her.

After much time spent searching for her apartment building, she had finally arrived in her new apartment in Tokyo. What she had come across so far in the city proved a much more bustling, exciting setting than her old town in the mountains of Gifu-ken. Hiyori had only heard second-hand tales and seen photographs of Tokyo, so seeing the city with her own eyes was a breathtaking experience; all of the buildings, and windows, and lights- the cars, the overwhelming noise, the different scent that permeated the air; everything was different.

Her mother entered her bedroom, scouring the hill of boxes surrounding Hiyori.

"Honey, are you going to finish soon?" her mother asked, pacing around the room. She frowned, seeing most remained unopened.

"Mother, we just got here." Hiyori tore the tape off of another box. "There's no way I would even be close to finishing-"

"Hiyori!" a masculine voice called from the hallway, cutting her off. The sounds of footsteps approached the open door. Masaomi, standing far taller than her mother, appeared in the doorway. "Help out a brother, will you? I really want to check out the city and all-"

"Masaomi!" their mother scolded, raising a finger. "I swear, you cannot do anything yourself! You're supposed to be the man in the house, so go back to the living room and start unpacking!"

Masaomi huffed, raising his arms in quick surrender and mumbling to himself- setting off their mother once more. Hiyori chuckled at the bickering exchange between her family members. She stood up, pushing her hair back. "It's alright, Masaomi." Her mother paused her reprimanding, and the arguing pair turned to glance at the interruption. "I can help out after I finish this box. Mother, can you prepare my bed while I help him out?"

"Oh, Hiyori," her mother sighed in defeat. Masaomi cheered. "Alright, honey. Just- finish what you're doing, and go help out your brother."

* * *

Hiyori soon found that the apartment her family had moved into was located near the Tokyo tower, as well as her new school for convenience. Though it was rather small for her taste, it was a nice apartment, suitable for a family of three.

Starting that day, Hiyori would be walking to school every morning in the coming trimester, down a couple of busy blocks to her new high school, which happened to be rather prestigious.

"Don't be nervous, honey," her mother spoke, setting aside plates for breakfast. She watched her daughter who had clammed up, ignoring the food in front of her. Being a mother, she knew her daughter's nervous habits. "You'll always meet new people and experience new things. This is just another step in your life."

"I know that, Mother," Hiyori set her hands on the table, breathing out. "It's just- I'm nervous. It's going to be hard, making new friends again."

"You'll be fine, Hiyori," her mother smiled. "Our family- we've been through a lot. You can do this. You might even make some of the best friends of your life at this school- so give it a chance."

Hiyori sighed once more before she stood up. She held her satchel, tightening her grip around the handle. She allowed a smile to blossom on her face as she felt a layer of anxiety melt off her shoulders.

Her mother mirrored her pleasant expression. "Go, Hiyori," she spoke.

"Of course, Mother," Hiyori replied. "Please take care of yourself, too."

Receiving a small burst of energy from her mother's words of encouragement, Hiyori left her apartment with a swing in her steps. She skipped down the stairs, her hair swinging back and forth in the air. She leapt down the bottom few steps with grace, a plentiful sum of joy evident on her content face. At first glance, no passerby would think that Hiyori was attending her first day of high school.

No passerby, save for two suspicious figures that lurked in the shadows around the corner of a dimly lit corridor.

"Who is she?" one whispered, peeking out from behind the wall to watch Hiyori, who, at that moment, happened to exit out of the main glass doors of the apartment building. The first spy adjusted their glasses on the tip of their nose, narrowing their eyes at the disappearing figure of Hiyori.

"I don't know, but she's wearing the high school uniform," the other murmured. "I've never seen her before, but let's see if she's a new student!"

"Won't we technically be stalking her?" the first questioned, adjusting their knees that had been cramping up.

"Not really. We're just going to school, too! And we can corner her there and try talking to her," the second exclaimed, smirking.

"Huh," the first replied, dusting off their knees as they stood up. "Let's go."

* * *

" _Look, Mommy!" a boy cried, holding a bouquet of blue morning glories in his grubby hands. "Flower!"_

" _Yes, Yato," the woman smiled. Her violet eyes, crinkled at the edges in a smile, glistened in the sunlight. She clasped her hands around his, leaning over. Her long chestnut hair fluttered in the light breeze. "They're called morning_ _glories."_

" _Morn-ing Lory..." the boy whispered, his eyes sparkling with wonder._

" _They match your eyes, too," she observed, holding up the flowers. "Like sapphires."_

 _The boy bit his lip, staring at his mother for a few more seconds. A particularly large breeze rustled through the leaves, and he turned to look at the trees. Cherry blossom petals twirled around them in a wild storm of pinks and whites. The boy reached towards them with desperation, blindly trying to grab at them. His mother chuckled, watching her son._

" _Sakura!" the boy yelled, pointing at the vortex of blossoms, gasping in awe. "Pretty!"_

" _Oh, Yato," the mother whispered, laughing, before he jumped into her arms. She embraced him, taking care to wrap her arms around him as gently as possible._

" _I love you, Mommy," the boy murmured, burrowing his face deeper into her shoulder._

" _I love you, too," the woman whispered, as she closed her eyes, sighing with content._

Yato's azure eyes snapped open, his chest pounding- only to be reminded that he was still in his room, sleeping on his bed. He exhaled loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "God damn it," he whispered. He'd been trying to suppress the memories of the past with the entire force of his consciousness, but it seemed as though his mind worked counterintuitively; the more he tried to get rid of a thought, the more it stuck around like an irritating fly.

His eyes were naturally drawn to the small, wooden picture frame that rested on the shelf beside his bed- it held the only memento that he had left of his own mother. He could sense the warmth emanating from the photograph, yet he similarly felt miles away- the past was the past, after all. An unwelcome rush of memories flooded his mind, ranging from the morning glory flowers to her favorite kimono she always wore during festivities-

He shook his head. He was thinking about his past too much, again. Groaning, he pulled himself out of bed; his chest was sore as always. _From last night_ , he thought, narrowing his eyes with bitterness. _He got me good, again._ With a loud sigh, he swung his body up to a sitting position from the comfort of his blankets. His bed creaked as he leaned forward. It was time to go to school, yet again, after the bittersweet spring break. He was now a first-grader in the newly renovated high school- something that should've made him nervous, but his apathetic nature muted his ability to feel much of anything.

He jumped as his phone blasted an ear-jarring alarm- it was silenced by a quick slide of his finger on the screen. It returned to its home screen, where he noticed the red bubble icon on the message application. With the few contacts he had, it could only be one of few things. He sighed as he clicked the notification.

" _You have another assignment this weekend,_ " was all it read. Of course; _he_ wouldn't give him a break, even if it was the first week of high school- not that it surprised Yato at all. With a loud groan, he began to slide off his clothes.

It was time to head to school.

* * *

Hiyori strolled down the sidewalk of the bustling city, nearly crashing into strangers every second, repeating a surprised, "Excuse me!" every time. Not being used to the herds of people, businessmen and other schoolchildren alike, Hiyori felt like she was walking through a minefield to avoid any potential accidents. It was not to say that she did not enjoy the city stroll, however- despite the lack of fresh-smelling air, Hiyori found that she quickly became fond of aspects unique to the city, such as the stores displaying fashionable clothing in glass cases and the blinking lights of every street corner.

Before she had even realized, she had passed by the brick wall that enclosed most of the school courtyard, and she stood in front of the main gates of the school. The metal bars looming over her appeared intimidating, but what was even more surprising to her was the large school building with its windows glinting in the sunlight. The courtyard, decorated with pruned bushes and cherry blossom trees was abuzz with the voices of reuniting students and excited first-years. It was enormous compared to any other school she had ever seen before- at least, the one back in her village could not come close to comparing.

"Hey-o!" A high-pitched, feminine shriek pierced the air. Hiyori jumped around to find two female figures, rushing towards her out of the blue.

"What the-" Hiyori yelped, as the two girls halted just in front of her, both gasping for breath.

"Yama, I swear, you run-, so fast," panted the girl with glasses.

"Ami, join a sports club, for God's sake," the other girl, Yama, responded. She recovered faster than her other friend, and stood up straight to meet Hiyori's eyes.

"Wh-who are you two?" Hiyori finally spoke, eyes wide in surprise. The pair shared a glance before looking at Hiyori.

"I'm Yama!" yelled the girl with the short, chestnut hair. She waved, giving her a goofy smile.

"And I'm Ami," the other girl with the glasses followed. She brushed a lock of black hair behind her ear. "We just saw you walking out of our apartment building, and you were wearing our schools' uniform- we'd never seen you before, so we kind of followed you to see if we could talk to you. It was mainly Yama's idea, by the way. Not mine."

Hiyori blinked. The two girls, Yama and Ami, stared at her in anticipation. A large crowd of giggling students pushed past them, forcing the trio near the gates. Hiyori chuckled out of nervousness. "Okay," Hiyori paused. "Well, my name is Iki Hiyori, I'm new to the city, and I'm a first year-"

"We are too!" Yama cried, jumping with energy. "Wow, that's so cool! Great! You can be friends with us!"

Hiyori smiled. Despite the odd introduction, she was relieved to fit into the social life of the new school. A ball of anxiety had unwound itself in her chest with the knowledge that she was already befriending new people. "What classroom are you two in?" she asked.

"I'm 1-2," Yama replied. "So is Ami."

Hiyori frowned. "Oh, I'm in 1-1."

"Aw," Yama made a face. "Well, we can walk to school in the mornings, and talk before class, and at lunch," she rambled. "And also-" The sound of the school bell jolted the trio, cutting off Yama. All the students strolling about in the center of the courtyard headed for the main doors.

Ami sighed in disappointment."Oh, and so it begins," she muttered.

Yama placed an arm on her friend's shoulder. "Hey, stop looking so down, Ami!" Yama shouted. "It's high school! Time to get dates, join clubs, do sports, and make new friends! And we've already done one of them!"

Hiyori giggled at the two. Moving to Tokyo might've been a great decision after all.

* * *

 _The beginning of another school year, huh_ , Yato mused, carelessly running his fingers through his hair. He twirled his pencil in his other hand. The teacher, Mr. Tenjin, was calling attendance, making students introduce themselves- the usual.

"We also have a new student, who just moved here from the town of Tsukechi, Gifu-ken," Mr. Tenjin announced. "Iki Hiyori-san, please introduce yourself to the class."

The sound of a door screeching open made Yato slant his eyes in irritation. He glanced at the source of the noise; at the front of the class stood a girl with brown hair and pink eyes. _How odd,_ he mused. Murmurs resonated throughout the room- words such as "pink eyes," "cute," and "pretty" standing out in particular.

"Hi, I'm Iki Hiyori," she said, smiling. Her eyes scanned the room, meeting his. Yato's breath caught for a second, though there was no reason for it. "I'm so excited to be in a city like Tokyo! I hope I can make new friends and meet lots of new people." She folded her hands before her and bowed. The sound of clapping filled the room.

"Alright, please sit in that empty chair, near the window," Mr. Tenjin said, pointing right in Yato's direction. The recipient stared at the new student, who walked towards the back of the room, focused on the seat ahead of him. Yato payed particular attention to how she flicked strands of hair behind her shoulder as she sat down in her chair, screeching against the tiling of the floor as she took a seat. He returned his gaze to the window, now bored by the short intrusion to his thoughts. Though he'd been temporarily bothered by the disruption, the monotonousness of the teacher's voice about introductory information brought him back into his usual state of reverie, the outside world becoming a mere backdrop for his thoughts and worries to play out in. Memories, both pleasant and painful, wafted into his mind. To his irritation, they didn't leave.

"Here you go," a voice called. Yato stared down at the floor, refusing to pay attention.

"Hello?" the same voice repeated. A tap on his wrist brought him to reality, and he looked up to find the new girl staring at him. Her pinkish, violet eyes pierced into his own, seemingly digging into his past and deeply hidden secrets.

"Hello?" The girl questioned, continuing to hold the sheet of paper towards him. "Are you alright?" Her eyes shone with concern, disabling the rational part of his mind. He blinked- he couldn't seem to remember a single word.

"Y-Yes," Yato stumbled out, flustered. He quickly grabbed the papers from her grasp, throwing them down onto his own desk. His hands returned back underneath the table. He could sense the eyes of the girl watching him; whether it was with further concern, or with disdain, he wasn't sure. After an awkward pause, she turned around to listen to the teacher's lecture again. Yato gulped.

Something fluttered within his chest as he observed her from behind, the way the brown tresses of her hair naturally cascaded down her back. He clenched his clammy hands.

As class ended, Yato took his time packing his textbooks into his bag. He kept the girl in the corner of his vision, watching the way she organized her handouts with tidiness, tapping them against her desk before placing them into her book bag.

Feeling somebody's gaze on her, Hiyori turned to face the boy who sat behind her- the boy with the striking blue eyes.

He ripped his eyes away from her as soon as their eyes met. She tilted her head out of curiosity.

"Yes?" Hiyori asked. Yato jumped, shooting a brief gaze in her direction before quickly stuffing the rest of his papers in his bag without care. "Did you have a question?" She narrowed her eyes at how he shoved his notes into his bag, biting her lip.

"No, I uh," Yato muttered, snapping the clips of his bag shut. "Just- uh, gotta go!" He hurried away without looking back. In his blind hurry, he didn't hear the _plop_! of an object falling out his bag and onto the white tile floor.

"Wait, your..." Hiyori's words slowed as he threw the door open with a bang, making the remaining students turn to look at the source of the noise with irritation. Hiyori bent down to pick up the clear pencil case, containing a few standard mechanical pencils, and one pencil with a capyper on it.

 _How cute,_ Hiyori mused to herself. _I've always wanted to go to that amusement park._ Turning it over, she saw the scrawl of a name that read, _Kogami Yato_.

"Kogami Yato?" Hiyori whispered to herself, turning the pencil case over. She would have to return it to him tomorrow.

* * *

As soon as Yato exited the classroom, he realized something. He didn't even know remember her name.

Though that was probably for the better- girls like her shouldn't associate with guys like him.

 **A/N: So, hopefully that was alright. As all writers say, I promise it gets better. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought. I already have a bit written in advance, so I'll probably be uploading the next chapter soon (within the next week?)**

 **I also have a tumblr for noragami things "writeyatori", as well as one for writing things "exiethewriter" so check those out, maybe?**

 **Also, some characters will be changed- as in their relationships (can't say too much, or I'll spoil it); for example, Sakura is now Yato's mother. Hopefully that doesn't bother anyone.**

 **And also, this story could include some triggering things, like child abuse and drugs- I'll make sure to warn about those kinds of things at the beginning of the chapters that include them, but please be careful of that.**

 **I intend to make this story multi-chapter, and it should be pretty long. Hooray for character development!**

 **On a happier note, thanks for reading, everybody! :) Also, happy new years!**


	2. Chapter 2: Indebted

**A/N:** **Dedicated to Amayaokami, an incredible fan fiction writer! Check out her works, she has written some amazing levimika fanfics, and I totally admire her. Thank you so much for helping me out with this! ^^**

 **A bit of a longer chapter than I predicted in response to the awesome reviews/follows/favorites that I got! Thanks guys! (sorry to those that I promised I would update a bit earlier.) I explain more in my a/n at the end, so make sure to check that out. For now, to the story!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2- Indebted**

"Is she going to be all right?" he asked, hands trembling against his cellphone.

 _"Yes, Iki-san. She's clearly been under stress, which triggered a small relapse. She will potentially face life-threatening conditions, very soon, if we do not help her as soon as possible."_

He gulped. "How long is she going to have to stay in the hospital?"

 _"She will have to stay in the hospital for at least three days, and she should be given another updated examination of-"_

"I'm sorry, but I can't let another examination happen," he replied. "Just give her the usual prescriptions, please."

 _Thud!_

"I'm home!" Hiyori called out into the hallway. Giggling and chatter flittered into the apartment.

"Is anyone inside?" Ami asked, peering into Hiyori's entryway.

"Yes, my mom and brother should be here," Hiyori responded, setting her satchel down. "I'll be fine. See you guys tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow!" Yama and Ami chorused. Yama gave her a parting wave. "We'll come pick you up tomorrow morning!"

Hiyori waved back with a smile. She closed the door behind her, sitting down on the raised wooden flooring to take her shoes off. As she finished untying her shoes, a figure appeared in the hallway behind her.

"Hiyori!" Masaomi called, slipping his cellphone into his pocket. He wiped away a small line of sweat that had formed on his forehead. "How was the first day of high school?"

"It was great!" she replied, rising onto the wooden ledge from the tiled shoe storage space. "I met these new girls, who happen to be in this apartment complex, believe it or not," she chattered. "And I liked my teachers, so the day went well!"

"That's good," her brother responded, ruffling his hair. "I was afraid that you wouldn't adjust as well to the city."

"What are you trying to say?" Hiyori asked, placing her hand on her hip.

"No, nothing bad!" Masaomi responded, chuckling. "I'm just being a concerned older brother."

Hiyori sighed, walking up to a cabinet in the hallway where a small vase sat. She played with the fake morning glory that rested inside, when an idea came to her. "Where's Mom?"

Masaomi froze, gulping. His mind raced. "Ah- she told me she was going on her trip for her job early," he replied, fiddling with a button on his shirt.

"I thought she was going on her trip this weekend?" Hiyori asked.

"Apparently, her job pushed it up a few days, and she had to leave today, while you were at school."

Hiyori swiveled around, and he straightened up. "She's not overworking herself, is she?" Hiyori stammered. "I mean-"

"N-no, she's not. I made sure she took her pills this morning," Masaomi forced a smile. "Don't worry about it. She'll be fine by the time I leave for college."

"I hope so," Hiyori looked down. "We're already-"

"Don't worry about it," Masaomi ordered, his voice turning cold. Hiyori bit her lip. "We have enough money from Dad's will, and I'm working for the next month until college, which should hold us off."

"Can't I do anything?" Hiyori asked, fists clenched. "Like, work part-time, or babysit?"

Masaomi narrowed his eyes at his sister. "Hiyori, I don't think you understand how much these bills cost-"

"I don't!" Hiyori cut in. Her brother's lips parted in surprise. "I don't, but I want to do _something_. I-I hate feeling helpless."

Masaomi sighed, rolling his shoulders back. "You can do what you want, if it means that it makes you feel better. Just don't overload yourself. High school will get tough."

Hiyori let a slight smile tug at her lips. "Thanks, Masaomi," she spoke, walking away with her satchel in hand.

Masaomi stared at her departing back; the horrible, venomous fangs of guilt piercing his chest, weighing him down and polluting his mind with its overwhelming poison. _But it had been for the better_ , he thought. _He couldn't weigh his sister down with tiny problems like this._

* * *

Busying himself with the task of doodling in his math notebook, Yato huffed as his pencil- well, Yukine's pencil that he borrowed, since he'd lost his pencil case somewhere- traced over his previous sketch, refining the lines. A small heap of crumpled papers lay beside him. Groaning, he scrapped his current piece of paper into a tight, wrinkled ball and tossed it behind him.

"Something on your mind, Mr. Tutor?" his friend-slash-student, Yukine, asked. The boy happened to be skimming through the recent release of the monthly shounen comics book.

"Huh?" Yato blinked, affixing his gaze on Yukine's book. "No- but, hey, wait, that's this month's issue, isn't it?" He lowered his gaze to the textbook that lay discarded on the floor beside Yukine's bed. "Also, you're supposed to be working on the problems from your trig textbook."

"Yeah, but I don't feel like doing it now- and stop avoiding my question, you idiot," Yukine rolled his eyes at Yato, whose jaw clenched at the comment. "Something's off. You're not being a dick like you usually are."

"You-" Yato started, raising a fist- then paused to think. The new girl, with the strangely colored eyes, popped into his mind. "Well, I guess- there's this girl-"

"Holy shit, Yato, and a _girl_?" Yukine widened his eyes, mockingly waving his book in the air. "Wow! I never thought that this day would come!"

Yato scrunched together his eyes, standing up. "You stupid twelve year old, you shouldn't be talking." He grabbed a textbook off his desk to put it in his bag. "I've never seen _you_ with a girl."

Yukine laughed. "Yeah, I do talk to girls, sometimes. At school. Not like you'd know with all the part-time jobs you have, which, you never tell me _why_ you do them." Yato gulped, fingers playing at an invisible thread on his shirt. "I mean, seriously, if your step dad is so rich, why do you even work? Or, are you just really sadistic?"

Yato took a deep breath, lowering his bag. What a subtle way to put it; _jobs_. They were anything but. He mustered a weak grin. "I just do it for the money. My- uh, dad, doesn't give me a good allowance, as I've said before."

"Uh-huh," Yukine nodded. "Well, I guess that makes sense, since he practically kicked you out of his house. But anyway, I heard a weird rumor today, about you."

Yato's heart went cold. "W-what was it?" Yato asked, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"That for your job, you go and supervise a private strip club in Ueno."

Yato burst out laughing, despite himself. "Oh, come on, now. That one sounds ridiculous." He let out a sigh of relief- it felt like a massive weight had been lifted off his chest.

"Well, you never tell me what you do, so I have to resort to these weird rumors I hear. I'll figure it out one day."

"Mhm," Yato mocked. "Have fun trying." He turned away from his friend, narrowing his eyes. _Thank God Yukine never heard some of the real rumors,_ he thought.

"Anyways, it sounds like you're forgetting something," Yukine reminded. "The girl from your class. Explain."

"Well, I dunno," Yato began, tapping his chin. "This new girl. She just had- cool eyes. You know, like mine- so that's why I was thinking about it."

"Sure," Yukine sneered, rolling his eyes. "I'm _sure_ you weren't looking at her tits, or ass."

"Yukine!" Yato yelled, chucking a nearby pillow at him. "You disgusting little twerp! Of course!" Yato fumed. "And I was actually trying to explain it, too!"

"Huh," Yukine muttered. "I'm sure. Next time we're together, point her out to me, and I'll judge her to see if she's hot enough for you."

"I don't need you to judge her!" he hollered. "God, you're _such_ a typical prepubescent middle school boy! I don't even want to- make friends, anyways- and it's not like anyone would ever want to talk to me."

"Aw, Yato, what a pity party," Yukine crooned. He flipped a page in his book, stretching out his legs. "It's not my fault that you're such a loser. At least you have me, though, right?"

"Ugh, shut up," Yato muttered, sitting down on the floor. Out of the blue, he remembered his job that he had that weekend- in just four days. His stomach twisted. He turned himself away from Yukine, a weight squeezing his lungs with the lie he was about to tell. He lowered his voice. "Yukine; you'll need another tutor for this weekend. Saturday."

Yukine, for the first time since Yato strolled into his room, took a glance at Yato, noticing his slumped shoulders and the deeper tone he'd used when he spoke. Yukine's grip on his comic book tightened, and he narrowed his eyes at his friend. "You're always like this when you talk about your job."

"Like what?" Yato asked, undoing the buttons on his jacket.

"Depressing," he accused.

Yato's eyes slightly widened, his hands pausing mid-button. "No, I'm not." He continued to unbutton his clothes.

Yukine sighed, accustomed to Yato's odd behavior in this situation. He forced a groan, then feigned a gasp of surprise. "Wait, Yato! Instead of getting that boring girl from the private school, we should get the girl from your class!" Yukine stood up on his bed, jumping up and down to make the springs squeak. "Is she smart?"

Yato offered a half-lidded glance to his friend. "I don't even know her-"

"Dude, I'll find a way to set it up!" Yukine grinned, staring down at Yato, who had returned to looking away from him. "Heh."

"No, you're not," Yato insisted. "You couldn't even do it, anyway."

"Watch me," Yukine challenged, standing up. "I can totally do it."

"I'm sure," Yato said. He ran his fingers through his hair, scruffing it, then turned to give Yukine a stern glare. "Seriously, don't do it."

Yukine grinned in response. "I have my ways," Yukine's smirk grew, and he placed a hand on his hip. "And then, I'm going to set you guys up! And you guys are gonna have crazy, wild sex!" He guffawed as if he had solved the biggest mystery of the world.

Yato groaned, rolling over, exasperated at Yukine's nonsensical rambling. "Do your homework, Yukine," he ordered, throwing a notebook at Yukine, who cried out in surprise.

"Hey!" Yukine shouted. "Watch it!"

"Shut up, and get to work."

* * *

The next morning, Yato sat at his desk. Though students were running around him in a flurry of pre-class excitement, he was content without making a single noise or movement in the corner against the window. He stared out the glass, contemplating his work for the weekend, as well as mulling over what Yukine had said. _They knew where my business was,_ he thought. _Ueno, the shoddiest place in Tokyo. When the hell did the gossip in the middle school get so accurate?_

Hiyori walked into the classroom, eyes running over the crowded room. She spotted him- Kogami Yato- sitting in the seat behind hers, and she paced over. She noticed his slumped posture and his defeated, lost gaze as he stared out the window. _He looks so lonely_ , she thought, her lips falling into a frown. She sat down in her seat, turning to face him. "Kogami-san?" Hiyori called.

Yato recognized the same voice of the girl who sat in front of him- the girl with the pink eyes. Yato took a deep breath before meeting her gaze. "Yesterday, you dropped your pencil case," she mumbled, reaching into her leather satchel. His gaze was fixated on her movements. "Here it is!" She fiddled in her bag a second more before pulling out an object- his pencil case. She handed it to him, smiling in an effort to cheer him up. "Also, that capyper pencil is really cute. There's an amusement park for that in Tokyo, right?"

She didn't notice his Adam's apple bobbing against his throat. "Yeah, it's..." he trailed off. His mind was blank. _Why was he so nervous?_ "In Tokyo." He supposed it was because no one had ever really- approached him. She would learn of the rumors soon enough, though. _That'll keep her away_ , he scoffed.

"Excuse me," a disgruntled voice called. The two turned to look up at Mr. Tenjin, looming over the pair. "I'm sorry for bothering you two, but I wanted to speak with you before class started."

"Yeah?" Yato responded, resting his head in the palm of his hand. Mr. Tenjin narrowed his eyes at him with disapproval.

Hiyori's eyes widened. "Are we in trouble?" she gulped.

"No, of course not, Iki-san," Mr. Tenjin replied, smiling with wrinkles lining his eyes. Yato kept note of how the old teacher hadn't included _him_ in the comment. "I'd just like to have someone to welcome you to the school, introduce you to the buildings- you being new to the area and everything. Could you do that for me, Kogami-kun?"

"Huh?" Yato furrowed his brows. "Why me?"

Mr. Tenjin glared at him. An unspoken exchange passed between their eyes. "I'm sure you know very well, why, Kogami-san. _I_ thought it would be a great idea for you to help out Ms. Iki around the school."

Yato glared back, before letting out a loud breath. "All right," he rolled his eyes. "What do I have to do?"

"Just give her a tour of the school, answer any questions she has. You two will be excused during today's homeroom, so you can leave in a couple of minutes," Mr. Tenjin spoke. He coughed behind his raised hand, attracting Hiyori's attention. "Do be careful, Iki-san." With a quick side-eye to the confused girl, he ambled away. Hiyori watched his retreating back as he returned to the front of the classroom.

"That old geezer," she heard Yato mutter behind her.

"What was he just talking about?" Hiyori inquired, turning back to Yato once more. "Be careful of what?"

He averted his gaze to the floor. He forced himself to look at her again and narrowed his eyes at her. "Nothing."

Hiyori felt a slight chill crawl down her spine at his threatening glare. She opened her lips part way, but paused- she couldn't think of what to say in response. She watched him pull out his cellphone, glancing at the screen for a second before groaning and leaning back in his seat. He clicked his phone off and threw it down on his desk. After what felt like minutes, but what were really a few seconds, she forced herself to speak. "Wait, but," she stammered, catching his attention. "A tour..."

He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. _Of course, this girl was persistent_. "Give me a minute."

* * *

"So, this is the front of the school building," Yato stated, pointing to the main entrance of the school. He turned to a tall, metal fence that crossed the grounds of the courtyard. "And this chain link fence is the barrier that separates the brats from the middle school from our high school territory."

The pair stood in front of the deserted school grounds. Hiyori let her gaze sweep across the courtyard, where the gushing of the fountain and chirping of sparrows disturbed the silence. She breathed out in awe. "This is beautiful," she marveled. "My old school in the countryside can't even compare." She allowed a small smile to tug at her lips as she reminisced in the past.

"Yeah?" Yato responded. He tilted his head to the side, looking at her. "Well, this school does receive a decent amount of the city's taxpayers' money, as well as the state's." He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms behind his neck. "Whatever, that's not important. Follow me."

He strolled down the paved stone walkway, and she followed close behind him. Cherry blossom trees lined the path, their branches fluttering with the breath of the wind. One particular cherry blossom petal flittered about, catching in Yato's hair, which he failed to notice.

"Oh, um, Kogami-san," she spoke, reaching over to pluck it out of his dark locks. "A petal-" As soon as her fingers brushed against his head, however, he forcefully batted her away, eyes flashing. She cried out, grasping her hand. His limbs paused in midair as he realized what he had done.

"Oh- I'm sorry," Yato stumbled, dropping his arms. He took an unsure step away from her. "Just instinct-"

"No, it's fine," Hiyori gulped, before giving him a tight smile. "I'm sorry. I know some people hate being touched. I should've given warning-"

"N-no, really, it's my fault," he muttered, letting his gaze fall to the ground. A scowl marred his face. The atmosphere felt thick, as though their previous words hung in the air, immobile.

"Hey, Yato!" a voice called, making the two jump, shattering the tension. The two turned to look at the source of the noise. From across the metal fence that separated the middle school from the high school, a blond boy in a dark middle school uniform ran towards the fence, panting as he neared them. His top two buttons remained undone, matching his shabby trousers that were matted with wrinkles.

"Yukine!" Yato shouted. "It's time for class! What are you doing here?" Noticing the precarious situation, he tried to hide Hiyori behind him.

"I could say the same for you! Why are _you_ skipping homeroom?" the boy demanded, placing a hand on his hip. "And this is the new girl you were talking about?" he inquired, peeking at the girl.

Yato caught Hiyori's stare, and a light blush crawled up his cheeks. "We're not skipping, and- Yukine! She's not- I never said-"

"Hm," the younger boy muttered, resting a hand to his chin. "I suppose she's a good choice. Nice ra-"

" _Yukine!_ " Yato cried, slamming against the metal barrier that shook the grating with a terrible screeching noise. "You're such a perverted kid!" He continued to shake the fence, covering up Yukine's comments on the "new girl's" appearance.

Hiyori neared the fence. "Kogami-san, maybe you should stop," she spoke, breaking their bickering. "And you, too," she stated, looking at the middle schooler, who paused, blinking. Hiyori raised a hand to place on Yato's shoulder, but halted as soon as she remembered what had just happened minutes ago. Yato noticed her hesitation, tightening his fist around the metal links. Hiyori sighed. "You two are just being very noisy, and someone might hear us..."

"Oh, she's a total keeper," Yukine rubbed his finger under the bridge of his nose, grinning. "I like her."

Hiyori's brows knit in confusion, before her cheeks turned rosy as she realized the implication. "Wait, I-"

"Yukine, stop being a little prick," Yato grumbled. Yukine was about to start yelling again, though he faltered when Yato heaved a sigh, leaning against the fence that produced a creak in protest. Yukine frowned, and Hiyori peered at his defeated form.

"Dude, are you okay?"

"Kogami-san, are you okay?"

Hiyori and Yukine faced each other, mouths parted in surprise at their overlapping words of concern.

"Wait, hold up," Yukine stated, waving away Yato's slouching frame. "You- ah, girl- what's your name?"

"I-I'm Iki Hiyori," she responded. "And you are...?"

"Yukine, don't-" Yato began.

"Sagami Yukine," he answered with a grin, cutting off Yato. "Nice to meet you." He stuck out his hand but halted in midair, remembering he couldn't shake her hand through the fence. He chuckled, and Hiyori responded with a light giggle.

Yato sighed as he watched the exchange. "Hey, it's nice of you two to be all goody-goody and all, but ah- Iki, we gotta get back to class soon," Yato ordered, regaining his posture once more. "Tenjin'll get you in trouble too, if we're late."

"Aw, jealous, Yato?" Yukine jeered, smirking.

Yato scowled at Yukine. "Get back to class, Yukine. Stop cutting homeroom," Yato huffed, turning to Hiyori. "Let's go, now."

"Wait! Iki- ah, I can call you Hiyori, right?" Yukine asked with a light smile, gaining Hiyori's attention. He ignored Yato's deepening glare. Hiyori nodded. "Hiyori, I actually needed a tutor for this weekend-"

" _No,_ Yukine-"

"Can you do that for me? This Saturday?" Yukine cut in.

To both of the boys' surprise, and to Yato's horror, Hiyori gasped, grabbing the fence. "Really? Oh my gosh! That's perfect! I'd love to tutor you!"

Yukine grinned. "Really? Awesome! I can-"

Yato muttered under his breath, reaching to cup his forehead with his hand.

"Hey! What was that?" Yukine yelled, throwing himself against the metal fence.

"It's all right, Yukine-kun," Hiyori answered, trying to stop the two from fighting again. "I think I'm all right in most subjects. What subject do you need tutoring for?"

"Math- geometry, specifically," he replied.

"Oh, that's great! I was good at that. Can I have your, or your mother's phone number, to set it up?" Hiyori asked.

"Of course, of course," Yukine nodded. "Yato, you can give her that, right?" He shook the fence a little, getting Yato's attention.

"Yeah, I'll give it to her," he bit out, avoiding facing either of them.

Yukine tucked his arms to his chest, narrowing his eyes, though a smile tugged at his lips. He grunted in response and marched away.

"It was nice meeting you, Yukine-kun!" Hiyori called. Yukine raised an arm in a parting salute.

Yato averted his eyes from the scene. "Let's go back," he demanded, hurrying ahead of her.

"W-Wait up!" Hiyori called, chasing after him. "You need to give me his contact information!"

"I know, I'll give it to you in class, after," he muttered, taking short, quick strides down the central path, headed for the main entrance.

"Wait, Kogami-san," Hiyori spoke. "I want to ask you something-"

"Don't ask me about _anything_ ," Yato snapped, facing her. "Stop meddling in my life."

Hiyori halted, her eyes widening. "I-I didn't mean to," she stammered, gripping her sleeves.

"It's not your fault," Yato took a breath, forcing himself to calm down. He turned to face her. "You meeting me was a terrible coincidence, so take advantage of the fact that it's just a coincidence, and don't talk to me." He started walking again, Hiyori trailing him until they entered the building. "Stupid Yukine," he muttered. "Going and messing around with everything. I shouldn't've let him offer a tutoring job, let alone meet her-"

"No!" Hiyori cried, making Yato jump. "Sorry, that was loud. It's just- I really needed some money for some- personal problems, and an opportunity to babysit was perfect for me." She smiled. "Meeting Yukine-kun; and you, too, Kogami-san, was a good coincidence, not a bad one!"

His eyes widened, and he became aware of a rhythmic pounding within his chest. Though the sound of the piercing bell rang throughout the halls of the school, calling herds of students to leave their classrooms, he couldn't find it in himself to move. Her words played over and over throughout his mind like a broken record;

 _Meeting you was a good coincidence. Meeting you, Kogami-san, was a good coincidence._

"Hiyori!" a female voice called down the hallway. Hiyori turned away from Yato to find Yama and Ami running towards her. "Hiyori, what are you doing-"

The two girls came to a stop. They noticed Yato standing by Hiyori, his face conveying his slight bewilderment. The two parties stared each other down, though Yato only stared at Yama, a look of recollection passing over both of their faces. A few seconds passed- and Yato's expression faded, as he backed away to leave the scene. His form quickly blended into the mass of the students.

"What was that, Hiyori?" Yama whispered. "Why were you just talking to- _him_?"

"Um," she offered, staring off in the direction that he had left in. She didn't notice Yama's odd emphasis on the subject in question. "Well, our homeroom teacher told him to give me a tour of the school, so-"

"Why was _he_ looking at you like that, though?" Ami interjected. "Kogami- I've never seen him with an expression like that. He usually looks really- not there."

"What do you mean?" Hiyori asked. "Do you know Kogami-san?"

"Do I know him? Who doesn't?" Ami countered. "Everyone at this school knows him."

"What?" Hiyori's brows furrowed. "Why? Is he famous?"

"Famous? No," Ami responded, shaking her head. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, lowering her voice. "If anything, he's the opposi-"

Yama fell into a coughing fit beside them, making Ami pause and look at her friend with concern.

"What's wrong, Yama?" Hiyori asked.

"N-nothing, just," she hacked, leaning over. "Ehem. Ah, Ami let's go back to class."

"What? Why?" Ami frowned, glancing back and forth between her two friends. "It's no where near the end of the ten minute break, and we can't just leave Hiyori alone-"

"I think I forgot my phone in there," Yama insisted, pulling on Ami's sleeve. "I really have to go! Sorry, Hiyori, it's urgent!"

"It's fine!" Hiyori smiled, thinking nothing of the interruption. She waved at the two girls. "Go look for your phone, Yama-chan."

"See? She's fine with it, let's go!" Yama tugged on Ami's arm once more.

Ami sighed, relenting to Yama's demands. She glanced back at Hiyori once more before being dragged off by Yama into the mass of the student body.

Yama continued to pull Ami's arm through the crowded hallway. "Why did you tell her?" Yama demanded, pacing down the hall next to Ami, occasionally bumping into other students.

"Huh? Tell her what?" Ami asked.

"About _Kogami_ ," she emphasized. "You almost told her the rumors!"

Ami's brows furrowed. "Yeah? And why is that bad?"

"Don't tell her anything about that kid. I have a plan, and she can't know anything about his past."

* * *

 **A/N: mini cliffhanger *7***

 **I have a lot to ramble about, so here goes nothing;**

 **First of all, I'm kind of nervous about my characterization and syntax in this chapter. If anyone has any suggestions/critiques, please go ahead and tell me!**

 **Also, thank you guys so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! :D They really made my day/week. I know I'm guilty of never reviewing stories that much, so those of you who reviewed, thank you! It motivates me to review other stories as well, and to keep writing this story. I'm sorry for not responding to some/not responding earlier due to problems on this site, but they're fixed now ^^**

 **Another thing- did anyone else read ch.62 that was just released for Noragami? Damnn. If you haven't, go read it! (I reblogged translated scans on my noragami blog, check out my profile for the link. that totally isn't a plug lmao.) I won't reveal anything, but… Hiyori, Fujisaki, Yato, Adachitoka… why. WHY do you enjoy tormenting us?!**

 **Yet another thing: I watched Owari no Seraph recently (awesome series, go watch it). Guren is *hot* as hell, I ship MikaYuu pretty hard and I also made a sideblog for it (profile(notaplug)). Since I'm bilingual, I was thinking I could translate some of the manga chapters, and I found out that the anime ends pretty much right at the end of the most recent chapter of the manga, and the next chapter is being released January 11! I was already planning on doing this for my friend (sup Malla!), but if anyone is interested in reading the manga, I'm going to translate it from Japanese to English. I'll probably post that on my OnS sideblog on Monday Jan 11, so feel free to check that out. (This is provided that I can find the raws somewhere, which I'm sure I will be able to do.)**

 **Okay, that was a super long author's note. I don't even know if I'm allowed to plug other sites that much, but meh, I'm not linking anything so I assume it's fine.**

 **Have a great day, and see you next week! :D I love all you guys, even the silent readers =)**


	3. Chapter 3: New Meetings, Old Greetings

**A/N: I should explain a little bit about Yukine and Yato's last names; Yukine's surname, "Sagami" or "** **任神"** **in Japanese, literally means "god's appointee/trustee/entrustment." Yato's last name, "Kogami" or "** **小神"** **means "little god."**

 **Also, small thing: Yukine is 14. Yato just calls him a "12-year old" as an exaggeration. (Even I have a habit of calling middle schoolers 12.) I'll probably go back and edit that eventually so it flows in the story.**

 **Also, again, thank you so much for the nice reviews ^^ I really need to stop reading them during class, since I couldn't stop smiling while I read them, and some people gave me strange looks. I seriously appreciated the response that you guys gave me for some suggestions that I requested last chapter. Really, guys, you're all awesome, I appreciate it so much! 3**

 **TW: smoking, child abuse mentions.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Noragami, or its characters! D:**

* * *

 **Chapter 3- New Meetings, Old Greetings**

The next morning, Yama and Ami met in the foyer of their apartment, earlier than they had specified to Hiyori. They sat on a wooden bench next to the receptionist's counter. The morning was oddly quiet, with few people leaving their apartments at such an early hour. The ticking of a clock could be heard, breaking apart the silence into mechanical fragments- though the sound never registered in the minds of the two girls, who were far too deep in thought.

Ami shuffled, shifting her seating position so she hugged her knees. "Yama, you still have to tell me why," Ami spoke, breaking the still air. "About Kogami, and Hiyori."

Yama's legs swung back and forth underneath the bench. She turned her gaze to Ami, who avoided her eyes. Yama sighed. "I know," she answered. She rolled her shoulders back, releasing the tension in her cramped muscles. "It's just that- I owe him, after the incident, y'know? And, it won't be that bad for Hiyori, either. He's not an ass."

Ami blinked, ignoring her friend's crude language. "I know that, but I don't think that it's fair not to tell her." She brushed her hair behind her ear. "She might lose her trust in us, if she finds out that we didn't tell her about his back story."

"Well," Yama responded. "If she knows everything, she might not want to do it at all."

Ami frowned, but remained silent. Her friend was right.

"Ugh, this is all so much work," Yama groaned. "Anyways, let's just see what she says if we let her in on it a bit," she suggested, raising her hand and gesturing to demonstrate the small sum of information that she was referring to.

"Fine," Ami mumbled, crossing her arms. "Just the thing about his dad, and his grades?"

"That's right," Yama nodded. She offered a high-five and a wide grin to her friend, who muttered under her breath and begrudgingly slapped her friend's hand.

Ami then looked up at the hallway beside them, and noticed Hiyori walking towards them. Ami signaled Yama with a motion of her chin. "Yama, it's Hiyori."

Yama's eyes widened in the mentioned direction, and she hopped off the bench. "Hey, Hiyori! Good morning!" she exclaimed, waving Hiyori over with a wide grin.

"Hey, guys!" Hiyori smiled, waving back. "Good morning!"

Yama studied her countenance, then noticed the small, purple bags under Hiyori's eyes. She narrowed her eyes at her friend. "You alright?" Yama asked.

"Oh, I'm fine!" Hiyori responded, brushing off Yama's suspicious gaze. "My brother got home late last night, and he kept waking me up- he was in a really bad mood, and I couldn't sleep that much." Hiyori glanced at Ami, who had been giving Yama an odd look ever since she'd started talking to Yama. "Are you okay, Ami-chan?"

"Huh?" Ami shook her head, broken from her state of reverie. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just spacing out."

Yama met her friend's eyes for a brief second, and a secret exchange passed between them. Yama cleared her throat, then grinned at Hiyori, grabbing her sleeve. "Well, let's go! Come on, Ami!"

Heaving a groan, Ami rose to follow them. She narrowed her eyes at Yama's giggling, chattering form. _It's amazing_ , she mused, _how well Yama can hide anything._

* * *

"So, Hiyori," Yama sang, skipping ahead of her two friends down the crowded streets of Tokyo. "How- oof!" she cried, crashing into a stranger. "Sorry!" she called.

"How- what?" Hiyori repeated, trying to keep up with Yama, who kept running ahead of her. She stumbled on the heel of someone's foot as she craned her neck in search of her hyperactive friend. Once she spotted the chestnut bob of Yama's hair, Hiyori hurried to catch up with her.

"How about dating? How's it going with that part of your life?" Yama smirked, elbowing Hiyori in the side, who made a noise in surprise.

"Ouch, Yama!" Hiyori yelped, crossing her arms. "And, I don't have one!" To her friend's disapproving gaze, she raised her voice in protest. "I don't really need one, either! I'm busy. Wait- let's wait for Ami- she's all the way behind us."

Ami walked several feet behind the pair, and rolled her eyes, watching her friends conversing ahead of her. It came as no surprise to her that Yama purposely tried to exclude her from her conversation with Hiyori, but she didn't care enough to put a stop to her friend's behavior.

"Ami's fine- she's just grumpy in the mornings," Yama excused, brushing off her friend. "But Hiyori, seriously," Yama insisted, placing a hand on her hip. "Boys? Dating? How about it?"

"Huh? Why are you talking about this now?" Hiyori asked.

"Want me to set you up? I was thinking, maybe we could do a double date, or a triple- but Ami hates those kinds of things, so I thought you could do it with me," Yama rambled. "Like, be my partner in crime." Her eyes sparkled as she thought of the possibility.

Hiyori frowned. "I'm not sure if I really like anonymous dating," she answered. "Or, dating at all-"

Yama let out a shrill scream, clasping her hands together. Hiyori's eyes widened, immediately hushing her friend and apologizing to the irritated onlookers. "Hiyori!" she cried. "I have an _amazing_ idea! Speaking of boys you know: Kogami!"

Hiyori's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why _him_?"

"He's, like, the only guy you've talked to, right?" Yama insisted, shoving a finger into Hiyori's chest. "I could totally make it work."

"W-what? Why?" Hiyori stammered. "I don't even understand-"

"Love isn't meant to be understood, Hiyori!" Yama countered, raising a pointing finger in a scolding manner. "Trust me, he isn't a terrible guy, and plus-"

"Wait, wait," Hiyori said, grasping Yama's wrist. "Ami's been calling our names."

"Huh? Really?" Yama asked, turning around to find Ami waving her arms in the air far behind them. "Oh!"

Hiyori observed her surroundings, gasping in surprise at the sight of the familiar brick wall. "Oh, we're at school already!"

"Wow, I didn't even notice!" Yama laughed, slapping Hiyori on the back. "Let's go over to where Ami is."

Ami raised her eyebrow with impatience as her friends strolled over to her. She crossed her arms, entering the front gates of the school before the two had enough time to catch up.

Hiyori watched her friend with concern. "Are you okay, Ami?" she called.

Ami merely nodded, walking ahead of them and increasing her pace along the paved path to the entrance of the school. The shadows of the sunlight, cast by the tree branches and leaves above her, danced on the back of her sable hair.

Yama narrowed her eyes at her friend. She paused, huffing out loud, but she decided to ignore Ami's behavior. "Anyways, Hiyori- dating. Kogami. How about it?"

"Look, who said I ever wanted to date anyone?" Hiyori responded, fussing with her hair.

"Me," Yama retorted. "'Cause, you said that you haven't had your first kiss yet, so I thought that it was _only_ appropriate-"

"Just because I haven't kissed someone yet, doesn't mean I just want to go around kissing _anyone_ ," Hiyori countered, placing an arm on her hip. She hurried ahead to climb the steps to the entrance of the school.

"Aw, come on Hiyori, please?" Yama begged, clasping her hands together. She almost tripped on the stairs as she walked without looking forwards, and she leaned on Hiyori for balance, chuckling.

"Nope."

"Please-"

"No," Hiyori ordered, glaring at Yama, who was trying to exploit her with puppy-eyes. Hiyori entered the doors of the school behind Ami, letting her eyes adjust to the temporary darkness. Yama quickly followed behind. "I've already heard weird things about him, so I-"

Yama grabbed Hiyori's shoulder, her carefree expression replaced by one of worry. "Wait! What weird things?" Yama questioned.

Hiyori turned around, tilting her head at Yama's strange turnaround in behavior. "Um, from Mr. Tenjin? It's not that important, though. Let's hurry to-"

"No, it is," Yama insisted, earning a more suspicious look from Hiyori. "Just kidding, not really. But it kinda is, too."

Hiyori narrowed her eyes at her friend. "If you want me to tell you what happened, all you have to do is ask."

"Okay," Yama responded. "What happened?"

Hiyori rolled her eyes. "Wait, let me put my bags down in my classroom."

Yama followed Hiyori and Ami down the empty hallway, sighing in frustration. _It sure is hard to convince Hiyori,_ she pondered.

After minutes of walking down corridors and climbing several flights of stairs, as well as waiting for Hiyori outside of her classroom, Yama was exhausted. Students were beginning to file into the school, and the hallway began to fill with the sounds of stomping footsteps and murmurs of laughter.

The door of Hiyori's classroom opened, and Hiyori walked out. Ami and Yama both stood outside, waiting for her.

"Sorry I was a bit slow," Hiyori said, walking over. "I just had to take out some books for first period."

"Okay. Alright, Hiyori." Yama put a hand on her hip. "Spill the beans."

"Well, it's just," Hiyori began. "When Mr. Tenjin told him to give me a tour of the school, he just- warned me to be careful."

Yama's brows furrowed. "Mr. Tenjin warned you? About what?"

"I don't know," Hiyori admitted. "He just told me to watch out- and when I asked Kogami-san about it, he said he didn't know."

Yama shared a glance with Ami. "Was there anything else?" Yama asked.

"No- not really," Hiyori said, tapping her chin as she tried to remember. "I mean, Kogami-san told me to stay away from him, which was really strange..."

Yama's eyes widened. "Oh, that's-" she mumbled. "Well, was that all he said?"

Hiyori nodded. Yama sighed, ruffling her hair.

"Look, Hiyori," Yama started. "It's probably 'cause- he's had a bad reputation around the school, with his grades and everything."

"What do you mean?" Hiyori asked.

"His dad is really rich," Ami finally spoke, her glasses flashing with the sunlight from the windows. "And he's donated lots of money to the school, but his son isn't exactly the smartest kid in the school, and neither does he try, really- so that's why teachers tend to look down on him."

Hiyori's mouth parted in surprise. "But that's not fair!" she said, earning surprised glances from her friends. "That teachers don't like him just because of how they expect him to work, based on his dad's job!"

"Well, nothing's fair in this world, after all," Ami said. "And plus, he just- never really fit in. And now, he pretty much has no friends. Anyone can tell that he's lonely, but still, no one talks to him."

Hiyori frowned, but faltered, remembering the boy from the middle school who seemed to be Yato's friend. "Wait, but yesterday, I met Kogami-san's friend, from the middle school," she protested. "And I promised to tutor him for this weekend, too."

Ami took a sharp intake of breath. "Sagami Yukine."

"Oh, you know him?" Hiyori questioned. Yama looked equally confused.

Ami's face contorted into a scowl. "That little devil- I hate him."

Yama's blank expression crumbled. "Oh! Him!" She burst out laughing, slapping the wall. "What a turn of events!"

"What are you guys talking about?" Hiyori asked, eyebrows knit with worry. "Did he do something bad?"

"No-"

"Yes," Ami interjected into Yama's guffawing.

"Ami's upset because, once," Yama snickered. "Well, last year, he lifted up her skirt, and it so happened to be in front of her crush-"

"That's enough," Ami insisted, glaring daggers at Yama. "That's something I never want to remember, ever again."

"What? Why did he do that?" Hiyori asked, frowning at Ami's glower.

"Actually, I'm not sure," Yama said. Ami huffed, crossing her arms. Yama's face scrunched together as she thought, before her eyes lit up. "Oh! I'm pretty sure someone dared him to do it."

Hiyori's brows furrowed. "What? Why would he-"

 _Ding! Ding!_

The bells cut off Hiyori's question, jolting the three girls. A rush of students complaining about going to class flocked to their own rooms. The hallway quickly transformed into a flurry of confusion and disorder.

"Well, looks like we'll save that talk for another time," Ami noted, waving at Hiyori. "See you later."

"See you later, Hiyori! Let's talk more, afterwards!" Yama yelled, winking back at Hiyori. She turned around, putting an arm around Ami's shoulders, who shook off the oncoming arm.

Hiyori felt a light tap on her shoulder. "Yes?" she said, turning around- to find Kogami Yato around the corner of the hallway that she had been leaning against.

She felt her heart stop.

Her breath caught in her throat, eyes widening in surprise. "K-koga-"

"I heard that," he said, taking a step towards her. His voice was frigid, threatening. "All of it. You were talking about me and Yukine." She couldn't look away from his eyes; his ice cold eyes, marred with the minute, black dots of his pupils. Hiyori stepped backwards, and he grabbed her wrist. "I thought I told you not to. Why don't you listen to me?"

"I-I was just curious," Hiyori stuttered, hands trembling in his grasp.

Yato's eyes narrowed at her. "Curiosity _kills_ people." He loosened his grip on her wrist, slowly pulling away.

Hiyori felt a chill run down her spine, unable to tear her gaze from his fierce eyes, before she remembered Ami's words-

 _He's lonely._

"B-but," Hiyori stammered, fists clenching. "You always seem so lonely, so I thought- w-we could get to know each other better?"

Yato's eyes widened, surprised at her keen eye for his behavior. He took a step away from her, forcing himself to lower his voice in an effort to hide the odd sense of panic that he felt. "The tutoring is it. After that, don't ever talk to me again. I-I'm serious."

Hiyori opened her mouth to protest, but hesitated. She stared after his forlorn form as he gave her one last glance, and retreated into the classroom. She took a few breaths to calm down the sense of alarm she'd felt when he had grabbed her so suddenly. She tried, in vain, to release the tension that was trapped in her shoulders with a deep sigh. A seed of worry had begun to sprout in her mind; one that she could not let go of, no matter how hard she tried.

 _Why was he so afraid of physical touch before, when I only touched him lightly, while it seemed so natural for him to use physical force against me just now?_

* * *

Hiyori left the classroom of her last period after the bell rang, reminiscing over the events that had just occurred a few hours ago; curious of Yato's odd malevolence towards her, as well as her friends' slightly suspicious tactics to try and get her to "date" Kogami Yato.

She checked her phone, and realized that she had received a text from Yama. She opened it and read its contents.

 _Hey Hiyori! I have track tryouts after school, and Ami left early for her tutoring. Sorry I couldn't tell you sooner. See you tomorrow! :DD_

She smiled at the kind message, and typed a short message of acknowledgement back. A thought also struck her- she should call her mother to see how she was doing. She clicked on the application for phone calls, selected her mother's name, and waited as it began to ring.

And waited.

The phone continued to ring against Hiyori's ear, but there was no answer.

Her chest began to fill with unease; her mother _never_ missed a call, even while she was at work. After several more rings, Hiyori heard the message of her mother's voice mail begin to play; though hearing her mother's voice did little to soothe the storm of anxiety that stirred in her chest.

She had to send her mother a message to see how she was doing. Forcing a sad smile, Hiyori paused in the middle of the hallway to focus on her text.

 _Hi, Mom! I hope you're doing well with work. School is going well! I hope I that you can get back soon. xoxo, Hiyori._

She pressed the send button with trembling fingers, and she slipped her phone into her back pocket. She returned her focus to her surroundings, glancing at the posters on the bulletin boards that advertised clubs and important news as she walked down the hallway, thought her attention was far elsewhere. Her footsteps echoed throughout the hollow corridor until she arrived at the shoe locker area, taking her time to exchange her shoes. She then exited the front entrance of the school, taking care to observe her surroundings.

That was when she saw a figure in the distance, at the gates of the school. Out of curiosity, she hurried her pace towards the gates, following the stone pathway, until she recognized the form. Her eyes widened- it was Kogami Yato. He seemed to be waiting for someone; he looked to his left and right, tapping his foot on the ground. After just a few seconds, a black sedan arrived at the road, parking in front of him. He approached it and entered without a glance back. Hiyori stared off into the distance as the car drove off.

"Hey, Hiyori!" a voice called, making her jump. To her surprise, she recognized a boy in middle school uniform- Sagami Yukine- running towards her. "Hey!"

Her eyes widened in recollection- of his prank against Ami- but seen his grinning, cheerful expression, she couldn't help but smile back. She waved to him. "Hi, Yukine-kun!" Hiyori walked towards him as he approached her. "How are you?"

He bent over, panting for a moment before he recovered. "Hey, I was actually just looking for Yato," he admitted. "Was he in class today?"

Hiyori's brows furrowed. "What? I just- I just saw him," she said, pointing off to the road. "He left in a car."

Yukine's eyes widened as he followed her line of vision. "Are you kidding?" Despite his clear irritation, his frown seemed to change to worry as he gazed off. "It must've been..."

Hiyori tilted her head to the side out of curiosity, gazing at Yukine.

"His brot-" Yukine muttered, before he stopped himself. He gazed up at Hiyori, chuckling. He took a step away from her. "Ah- nothing!"

Hiyori narrowed her eyes out of skepticism. "Are you sure?"

"Yup!" He nodded, grinning, muting some of Hiyori's suspicions. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds, and Hiyori smiled back at him. His eyes widened, and he averted his eyes from her, gulping.

 _Fuck,_ he thought, fingers fidgeting. _She's cute._ "I should-"

"Do you want to- oh," Hiyori paused, having intervened into his words. "Sorry, you can continue."

"N-no, it's fine," he stammered. "Go on."

"Well, I was just going to suggest that we go get a snack together," she offered. "Somewhere in Roppongi?"

His mouth fell open at her proposal, and he felt his cheeks flush. "H-huh?"

"So we can get to know each other, before I tutor you!" Hiyori smiled, raising her satchel to peer into her side pocket, where her wallet rested. "Don't worry, I have some money. Would that be fine?"

"A-um," Yukine stuttered, gaining the courage to meet her eyes at last- though he regretted it as soon as he felt the heat rush to his cheeks. "I-I think so."

"Great!" Hiyori exclaimed, offering her hand to him. "Let's go!"

He stared at her hand for a second, before blushing madly. "I-I'm 14, you know? So..."

Hiyori's brows knit in confusion, before she dropped her hand with a gasp, the color in her face beginning to mirror his. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to make fun of your age!"

"N-no, it's fine. Let's go," Yukine mumbled, walking ahead, trying in vain to erase the blush from his face.

* * *

Yato sighed, slumping into the leather seat of the car, staring at the gray buildings that passed by outside the black-tinted window. Memories of the past few days replayed throughout his mind; the strange girl's insistence to help him, the way she could almost read through him-

"So, how was school?" the driver asked with a grin, cutting off Yato from his peaceful thoughts. The teenager slowly breathed out a stream of smoke. "Fun? Exciting? Any new friends?" He chuckled to himself as he watched Yato's expression contort into a frown.

"Shut the hell up, Kouto," Yato muttered.

"Ah, remember, you brought this upon yourself," Fujisaki commented, his eyes narrowing. His voice became sharper, icier. "You know, when you were _born_."

Yato's fist clenched, and he glared at his brother through the rearview mirror. He forced himself to remain silent.

"What? No comeback today?" Fujisaki grinned, bringing a cigarette up to his lips to inhale, then exhale once more. "As usual, I guess." As he came to a stop at a busy intersection, he took a glance at his brother. "Anyways, Dad's gonna give you the forms you need for this weekend."

 _Give me the forms for this weekend,_ Yato mused. _What a nice way to say, 'beat the shit out of me.'_

Fujisaki smiled at Yato's grimace. He took his time to pilot the car down the busy city intersections, before he spoke again. "This one's gonna be easier. I'm pretty sure Dad decided to go easy on you, since you've been pretty obedient recently. Oh, and because you haven't cut any classes so far." He raised an eyebrow, sarcasm coating his voice. "Good job!"

Yato didn't reply, though it felt as though his insides were burning- with rage, and hatred, towards this absolute scumbag of a brother.

"Quiet today, aren't you?" Fujisaki remarked, scuffing his hair with his hand. Another drag, and another exhale. "Not like you aren't always quiet about everything."

Fujisaki steered his car to the quieter neighborhoods of Tokyo, driving down suburban roads with their abundant greenery- a change of scenery from the dull hues of the city. The skyscrapers of Tokyo towered against the sky, reflecting the rays of the afternoon sun, making Fujisaki narrow his eyes in the glint. After several minutes of silence, he neared the mansion that was also his home. He entered the passcode into the stand next to the front gates, and with a loud beep, the intricate black gates slid open. Parking his car in the middle of the driveway, Fujisaki turned back to look at Yato, who was still avoiding his eyes.

"Hey, Yato," Fujisaki said. _This stupid_ bastard _,_ he thought, patience waning. He grabbed Yato's satchel, yanking it towards him. Yato finally offered his brother a glance. "Pay some _fucking_ attention."

Yato's eyes narrowed at him. "I _am_ ," he seethed, snatching his bag back.

"Then make it look like you _are_ ," Fujisaki countered, his fists clenching against the seat. He held his brother's glare, until Yato averted his eyes. "Don't you dare make me look bad in front of Dad. You better-"

"I get it." Yato rolled his eyes, sighing. "Let's just get his bureaucratic bullshit over with."

Fujisaki grinned. "Finally, something we can agree on," he sneered, exiting the car and tossing his cigarette on the ground, grinding it into the stones with the heel of his shoe.

By the time Yato exited the car to follow his brother, the crimson embers of the cigarette had died, letting the white stick blend into the rest of the driveway of white pebbles.

* * *

"So, what kind of foods do you like?" Hiyori asked, wistfully staring at the store windows that displayed unique fashion accessories and high quality clothing. Yukine trailed behind her, gazing absentmindedly at the items on display.

"Um," Yukine responded. "I like- um, Takoyaki, and uh- Taiyaki."

"Oh, I'm sure they have those in the food court area," Hiyori acknowledged. "I just went there yesterday, and I think I remember seeing a fried food stand that had both of those!" She smiled.

Yukine glanced at her innocent, unsuspecting face, almost jealous of her apparent naiveté. His placid expression did little to reveal the turmoil of confused, nameless emotions that ran through him, however.

Hiyori cleared her throat in front of him. "Yukine-kun, I have a question," she began, walking ahead.

He increased his pace to catch up with her. "Yeah?"

"About Kogami-kun," she continued, looking off into distance as she thought. "Why is he- like that?"

Yukine's brows furrowed in confusion. "Like what?"

"So… conflicting," she said. "He always looks lonely, but he tells people to stay away from him. Why is that?"

Yukine narrowed his eyes at the floor. "I don't really know, either," he agreed, following her footsteps through the crowded city mall. "I think he's shy."

"Shy?" Hiyori inquired. "I don't think he's just shy. At least, that wasn't what I felt from him."

Yukine's eyes widened at her back. _Even though she seemed slow before,_ he mused, _I guess she's not a complete idiot._

"I wish I could know more, so I could help him. Here, be careful," she added, stepping onto the rising escalator.

Yukine watched as the stores and figures of the people below grew smaller and smaller as the moving stairs brought him closer to the food court. The aroma of fried, delicious food wafted through the air, making his stomach grumble. Hiyori giggled, and he looked away, blushing.

"So, do you want a Takoyaki set or Taiyaki?" Hiyori asked, guiding him to a fried food stand in the center of the court.

"Um," Yukine stammered. "Taiyaki."

Hiyori walked up to the stand to order the food, taking out her bag to retrieve her wallet. Yukine gazed off into the distance beside her, not paying attention to the girl next to him as he lost himself in his thoughts.

"Here you go, sweetie," the old owner of the stand said with a smile, handing a Taiyaki wrapped in white napkins to her.

"Thank you!" Hiyori beamed, retrieving the package. "Here you go, Yukine-kun!"

Yukine turned to the sound of his name being called, when a massive wave of pressure gripped his skull. He cried out in agony as the force tightened, wracking his brain.

Hiyori's eyes widened. "Y-Yukine? Yukine-kun!?"

His entire head throbbed, and his vision blurred, seeming to flash and flit odd colors. Sounds began to mix and fade together.

" _Yukine-kun_?!"

His head pounded, over and over, as though a savage, ferocious fiend were trying to escape from an iron cage.

And with one last throb, the pain disappeared from around his skull.

"Are you alright?" a voice pleaded, its owners' eyes wide and reflecting her surprise and concern.

He met her eyes-

and he didn't recognize her.

"W-who are you?" he asked, glancing at the Taiyaki in her hands, as well as the terror in her glassy eyes.

Hiyori felt herself stop breathing. "Y-Yukine-kun...?"

"I said, who are you?" he repeated, tone rising with agitation. "How do you know my name?"

"W-what?" Hiyori stammered. "I-I don't understand. What happened?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" he shouted, backing away from her. "Who _are_ you?"

Hiyori's eyes widened further- when she remembered Ami's words of his prank against her. She took a step towards him. "Y-Yukine-kun, please don't tell me this is just some prank-"

"A _prank?"_ he cried, swiveling to take in his surroundings. "Why would I do something like that? Where even _am_ I?"

"Yukine-"

" _Stop!_ " he begged. With one last glance towards Hiyori, he took off running in the opposite direction, away from her and from the terror that threatened to immobilize him.

* * *

 **A/N: Yukine's in some trouble…**

 **And oh, fuck. It's Fujisaki.**

 **Yes, Yato's family situation is a bit complicated- it'll make sense eventually (hopefully.)**

 **Also, small question: If I posted mini-spoilers/teasers for this story on tumblr, would you guys read/want them? I've been considering it, since as I get deeper into the story, I get more and more cliffhanger-ish, and I know (as a reader) that I would enjoy some teasers from the writer during a fanfiction.**

 **Also, this coming week I have some huge term tests coming up (most for AP courses :PP) so I'm going to be hanging on for dear life/not be able to focus on this story at all- so the next update may be a little late- I'm thinking it'll be up by the end of January.**

 **Adios, farewell, let me know what you thought-**

 **~exie**


	4. Chapter 4: Stay Away From Me

**A/N: So sorry for the delay D: But luckily, my semester term exams are OVER! Yay! And fun fact- don't take AP bio :c**

 **-Also, okay, I found this** _ **really**_ **sad, yet amazing piano song from the Cardcaptor Sakura OST called "Omoide Ga Kiechau"... it is** _ **amazing**_ **. Go look it up on YouTube just for a listen! It kind of matches part of this chapter, too.**

 **-TW: child abuse mentions.**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own or Noragami! :$**

 **Enjoy =D**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Stay Away From Me**

 _Yukine-kun!_

Though Hiyori's body moved on its own accord, her mind was in turmoil; over what she had just witnessed, and the panic that had overcome her.

 _Who are you? A stalker?_

How was that even possible? How could he lose his memory in a flash? Hiyori's worries were making her sick to the stomach, coiling around her stomach and restricting her lungs. Her feet pounded against the tiled floor of the mall as she ran, ran, and _ran_. She chased after his ever-disappearing form through the crowds of the mall, the people around her melting into a blur of colors. But, Yukine really was a fast runner. By the time she was in the central court on the ground floor, he was nowhere to be found. She swiveled around, eyes darting around her surroundings- but to no avail. She looked to the main doors that lay ahead of her, and then the stores around her. Her breaths came out in heavy, struggling pants.

 _Where even am I? Stop!_

Making her decision, she darted towards the large, sliding glass doors, taking her out onto the streets of Tokyo. She was suddenly pushed with the flow of the crowd, some people muttering to themselves about her inability to move. Hiyori cupped her mouth with her hands as her legs wandered aimlessly. "Yukine!" she cried, her eyes watering in response to the internal sense of growing panic-

And as if the greatest miracle had been blessed upon her, she spotted him- a blond tuft of hair sticking out of the impatient, bustling crowd at the curb. He was still waiting to cross the street. Her eyes grew wide, and it was as though everything moved in slow motion; she called his name, and he turned back to glance at her. For a split second, Hiyori thought she saw recognition pass through his eyes.

But then, the lights of the crosswalk changed from red to green- and the herd propelled him forwards, away from Hiyori and her outreached hand. She gasped, watching Yukine as he was ushered farther and farther away from her. Soon after, though, a light flickered in her mind. _I have to chase him._ With that, she started to run, her feet pounding against the concrete as she shoved her way through the crowd. Hiyori neared the crosswalk, and noticed the red numbers counting down on the other side-

 _10, 9, 8..._

Each breath came out in ragged, agonizing pants.

 _7, 6, 5..._

Hiyori's mind only thought of one thing- to retrieve Yukine, and save him.

 _4, 3, 2..._

Yukine was already at the other side of the street, running.

 _1._

Her feet landed on the other side of the road. Her lungs were burning, and her throat felt dry, worsening with every rapid intake of air. " _Yukine!"_ Hiyori cried, desperately; but then, it was as if the stars aligned above her. She watched as he slowed down, and turned to look back at her. To her great, insurmountable joy, he didn't run away. She continued to pant, her chest rising and falling with every breath- but a small smile grew on her face as she strode towards him. When he was within hearing distance of her, she called out to him.

"Yukine-kun," she struggled out, bending over to clasp her knees with her hands.

He was paralyzed in shock. "W-why did you...?"

"I had to come and save you, Yukine-kun," Hiyori said, her voice coming out hoarse. She locked her eyes with his. "I'm terrified for you."

His eyes flashed. "Y- You... You-" he stuttered, unable to move his limbs.

"I'm here for you," she said, offering him a smile. To her surprise, he let out a cry, and Yukine seemed to crumple before her eyes; his shoulders fell, and they began to shake, as he wiped away tears that had gathered at the corners of his eyes. A tear-filled gasp escaped his lips, as he rushed towards her and latched onto her waist. Hiyori was jerked backwards, her mouth dropping open in surprise. He molded himself into her, his body wracking with shrill sobs.

Hiyori had to fight against the onset of her own tears as she watched him break down before her. There they stood for several long minutes, in the middle of the populous Tokyo sidewalk, where the crowd veered around them as though they were a stone separating a river.

Yukine didn't say anything to Hiyori on the walk home to his house. Though she insisted that they take a trip to the hospital, he had stubbornly refused with several shakes of his head- and so, somehow, the idea to head to Yukine's house had appeared, and with a simple nod, Yukine had led her in the direction of his home.

His home was located a good distance away from the sky-high apartments and enormous shopping districts of Tokyo. He steered her in the direction of the homely neighborhoods, where typical suburban houses replaced the towering skyscrapers. Yukine stopped in front of an ordinary-looking home, with two stories, white paneling, and black roofing.

"Is this your home?" Hiyori asked. He nodded, keeping his head low out of shame. He paced ahead of her, hurrying to retrieve a key out of his pocket. Once it was in his grasp, he squeezed it tightly. Yukine walked up the stairs to his front door, and Hiyori following close behind in his footsteps. He shoved the key into the lock of his front door, albeit a few failed tries, and led her inside his home. They both took their shoes off, set their bags down, and paused.

She stared at the back of his forlorn figure, frowning. "A- Are either of your parents home?" she questioned.

He swallowed, opening his mouth to speak- but he hesitated. He weakly shook his head in response.

"Okay," Hiyori offered. Her fists clenched at her sides. "Can you- can you tell me what happened? If you remember anything?"

Yukine raised his hand to scratch his own throat, not trusting that it would let him speak properly. "Y- Yeah," he grunted out. "And yeah, I do remember- a lot of things. I remember you."

"Really?" Hiyori cried, lips spreading into a smile. "That's great!"

His eyes widened at her delighted expression. Before he could stop himself, he babbled out, "I- I just have- um, amnesia, so..."

Hiyori gasped. "You have amnesia?"

"Yeah," he answered, averting his eyes from her. _God damn it, why did I say that?,_ he thought, narrowing his eyes. "Ever since- I was a kid, I've had it."

"I'm sorry," Hiyori said, trying to comfort him. "Are you okay now, though? Does this happen often?"

"Y-yeah- ah, no," Yukine stammered. To his horror, when he tried to comb a hand through his hair, his arm still trembled. "B- But, I'm okay. I'm used to these episodes."

Hiyori frowned at him once again. "Do you- maybe, well- you should get some water, and some snacks," she began. "And just relax for a while, and then I can help you out with some studies, later?"

He turned to her, surprised at her suggestion. "You're going to stay?"

Hiyori cocked her head to the side. "Sorry, is that a problem?"

"N- No, it's not!" Yukine responded, chuckling awkwardly. "Y- You can stay, I guess."

Hiyori smiled at his responsiveness. "Okay!" she rejoiced. "Just clean up in the bathroom, while I go get ready in the kitchen, alright?"

Yukine nodded, before remembering something. "Wait, um," he stammered, gaining Hiyori's attention. "Can you- can you not tell Yato this?"

"Why would I tell him?" Hiyori asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Well, he's gonna come home soon, so he'll probably-"

"What?" Hiyori interjected. "He lives here?"

 _Fuck!_ Yukine mentally berated himself, closing his eyes to let out a breath he had been holding. _Who does everything just slip out?_ Yukine nodded once. "Yeah."

Hiyori stared at him in confusion, before letting it go. "It's fine. I won't tell him, don't worry." She gave him a wide smile. "Go get cleaned up, okay?"

Yukine's breath halted for a second, before he looked away from her. "Y- Yeah."

* * *

The sun was already approaching the horizon, casting the city in bloody, scarlet hues, when Yato started heading home. He staggered down the streets of Tokyo, cradling his chest as a wave of nausea passed over him. _I just have to get to Yukine's place_ , he thought, groaning as he grasped his chest. _There's a reason I came this far from Kouto's._

"Shit," he muttered to himself, feeling a spasm of pain within his chest. Hobbling lamely down the neighborhoods of Tokyo, he continued along despite the odd looks he received from passing strangers. Each step he took felt like a desperate struggle towards home; each breath he sucked in made him lose himself in the dizziness that pervaded his mind. He was very aware of the spikes of pain that would shoot through his chest every time he breathed.

Before he knew it, he stood in front of Yukine's home. He noticed that the lights were on, signaling that someone was inside. He straightened up, dusting off his uniform and ruffling his hair so that he didn't look sullied. Yato took a deep breath before he approached the front door. _The usual ritual again, I guess,_ he mused, before unlocking the door with Yukine's extra key. He strode in.

"I'm home!" Yato called out, removing his shoes and setting them off to the side- where he noticed an extra pair, neatly placed besides Yukine's. A _girl's_ pair. He narrowed his eyes, his irritation channeling into something far different than of hatred towards his family. "Yukine!" he shouted, stomping down the hallway. "Hey, what the _hell_ are you-"

He was cut off by the sight of Yukine sitting besides _Iki Hiyori_ in the living room, her hands placed on his head in what could only be an indecent position. They immediately jumped apart upon realizing his entry.

"Yato!" Yukine cried, backing away from Hiyori, who continued to sit in her seat, frozen. "Y- You're home!"

"I am," he responded, narrowing his eyes that flickered between the two. "Now _what_ exactly is going on here? Iki? Yukine?" He took a few steps forward, crossing his arms- skillfully hiding the pain that shot through his shoulder as he did so. "Care to explain?"

Yukine took more steps away from the scene. "I- I was, um-"

Hiyori stood up, the sound of her chair grating against the wooden floor cutting off Yukine. Her clenched hands trembled at her sides. "We were at the mall, and um, we decided to-"

"Why were you guys at the _mall_ together?" Yato cut in, frowning distastefully. He turned to face Hiyori. "Didn't I already tell you not to stick your nose in places it doesn't belong?"

Hiyori shook her head. "N- No, I just wanted to get to know him before our tutoring-"

Yato's eyes narrowed at her. "I already told you to stop getting in my business." His voice became colder. "Just stay away from me, and the people that I know, if you want to avoid trouble! Is that _really_ too hard to ask of you?"

Yukine glanced at Hiyori's petrified look in response to Yato's harsh words. His brows furrowed, and he took a step forwards to intervene. "H- Hey!" he stammered, gulping. "Yato, that's too much!"

"Yeah, really?" Yato scoffed. "Do you actually believe that, or are you just saying that to score some points with a high school girl?"

"I'm _not_!" Yukine shouted, his clenched fists trembling at his sides. "What the hell is wrong with you today?"

"Why are you deciding to take _her_ side over mine today, Yukine?" Yato demanded, glaring at his friend.

"Because you're being such an ass-"

" _I'm_ not the one who takes interest in anything wearing a skirt, you little perv-"

"That's enough!" Hiyori demanded, breaking into their bickering. "You two are being ridiculous!"

"I'm the one who's being ridiculous?" Yato repeated. He pointed a finger towards Yukine. "It's this little brat!"

Hiyori gulped, glancing at Yukine, before glaring at Yato. "Stop being so mean to him!" Hiyori demanded. She looked at Yukine again, before making up her mind. "He's been through way too much today to be arguing about this-"

As if on cue, Yukine yelped, falling to the floor. Both Hiyori and Yato swiveled to look at him. Yukine clutched his head and groaned, cradling his head with his arms.

"Yukine!" Hiyori exclaimed, rushing over to him. "Oh my gosh, are you okay?"

"Y-Yukine..." Yato mumbled, horrified. He took an unsure step towards his friend. "You- again..."

"Stop standing there, and help him out, will you?" Hiyori insisted. She turned her attention back to Yukine, who continued to grunt in pain. "Yukine-kun, are you alright?"

Yato narrowed his eyes at Hiyori's back, watching her as she took care of his friend. _Another amnesia episode,_ he figured. _And this time, someone else is..._

Hiyori cooed soothing words into Yukine's ear as she held him, making sure she didn't handle him too roughly. "A- Are you okay, Yukine-kun? Does anything hurt?"

" _Argh_ ," Yukine rasped, taking in a deep breath. "My head- hurts, so much, I-"

"Don't keep talking, if it hurts," Hiyori said, rubbing his back comfortingly. "Just try and relax for me, okay?"

Yukine then looked up, releasing his head from his arms. He noticed Yato, staring down at him with scornful eyes. Yukine reciprocated the glare. "Why are you just standing there," he seethed, "watching?"

"What? You're already getting help from this girl, right?" Yato answered, narrowing his eyes. "It's not like you'd even need me now."

"What are you even talking about?" Yukine snapped, before letting out another groan. Hiyori quickly attended to his pains with comforting whispers.

"Whatever," Yato muttered, turning his back to them. "I'm leaving." He began to head for the doorframe of the hallway.

"Wait, Yato, you can't just..." Yukine protested.

Hiyori stared at Yato's form as he walked away from them. She opened her mouth to argue, then hesitated- it felt as though some invisible force was holding her back, preventing her from making a sound. She jumped when she felt Yukine grab her wrist and shake his head, slowly. Her eyes widened at his, but when her gaze rose, she met Yato's back for just a split second before he disappeared from her line of sight.

Yukine groaned besides her, slumping against the floor. He cradled his forehead with his hand, working the muscles in his head.

"Seriously, I just... can't deal with him," he muttered, sighing.

Hiyori's eyes melted with concern. "Should I try and bring him back?" Hiyori asked.

"No," he answered, raising his gaze to the ceiling. "He does this all the t-" he stopped himself, opening one eye to gaze at her. "Never mind. It's- it's nothing."

Hiyori frowned. "Where would he go?"

Yukine averted his eyes. "I- I don't know."

"I- I really feel like I should go and help him," Hiyori whispered. "Even though he hates me, I just-"

"No, don't," Yukine urged. "He needs some time to clear his head." He shook his head, staring at the ground. "And plus, I don't think he actually hates you- it's more like he's jealo..." he trailed off.

Hiyori's eyes widened. "Jealous?" Hiyori repeated.

"N- Never mind."

Hiyori cocked her head to the side, urging him with silence to continue talking. Seeing that he refused to make a comment, she sighed, standing up.

"A- Are you gonna go find him?" Yukine stuttered.

"No," Hiyori answered, letting a sad smile grow across her face. "I was just going to get my book bag. I need to call my brother to let him know I'm staying at a friend's place."

"O- Oh," Yukine managed, nodding his head as he met her eyes.

"Do you know when your parents will come home?" Hiyori inquired.

"Y- Yeah," he responded. "She- comes home late. Around nine, I think."

Hiyori's eyes flashed with recognition. "You only have...?" she trailed off. Yukine's despondent look to the floor answered her question. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Hiyori apologized. She approached him, lending him a hand. As he took her hand and stood up, she added, "I guess that makes two of us."

Yukine's expression paralleled her previous surprised expression. "You only have your mom, too?"

Hiyori nodded, a forced smile lining her face. "Yup," she answered. "It's fine, though. As long as I have a family at all, I'm happy." Yukine's eyes widened, unable to respond. He watched as a pleasant expression bloomed across her face.

"But let's not talk about that, though," she said. "For now, I'll help you out in any way I can, okay?"

Yukine gulped, a light blush coloring his cheeks for the umpteenth time that day. He managed a nod, and she responded with a short giggle as she walked away.

 _She really is too generous for her own good,_ he admitted, trying to rub off the color from his cheeks.

* * *

Yato wasn't there that morning in homeroom- and for some reason, this worried Hiyori, even though she had pledged not to think about "that kid" after seeing how he had treated Yukine. At the moment, she had just been busy catching up with Yama and Ami in the hallway during passing time, and Hiyori had nearly forgotten to attend her Japanese Literature class.

Throwing open the door to the classroom, she quickly scanned the room, where she noticed that all of the students were in their seats. To her horror, Mr. Tenjin was already standing at his podium. She apologized to Mr. Tenjin, bowing over and over, to which the old teacher responded with a light chuckle and a "you're free to go, Iki-san!" As she thanked him and searched for her seat, however, she spotted Yato sitting at his seat, which coincidentally happened to be _right_ behind hers. Hiyori trudged to the back of the room, having to force each foot forwards. The air felt thick, and though she had intended to avoid throwing him a glance, she failed at the last second before she sat down. In that moment, she observed the odd glint in his eyes as he stared off into the distance.

Mr. Tenjin cleared his throat, earning himself the attention of his students. "Ah, please open up your language textbooks to page 11," he ordered, looking over the students in the classroom. He finished filing the stacks of paper on his stand, tapping them against the surface of his wooden stand before setting them aside. "We will begin our first unit with an introductory poem about the season of spring."

Sounds of pages flapping and scuffling filled the room. Hiyori placed her book on her desk, flipping to the page. She stared at the short poem on the page, which was surrounded by artwork of vividly green trees blooming during the springtime.

' _Spring has come, with its_

 _green leaves, pleasant birds and insects_

 _The earth lives again._

 _-Matsu Bashi'_

"Who can read this poem out loud for us?" Mr. Tenjin asked. He surveyed the room, his eyes narrowing at a certain student who was playing on their phone, having the audacity to ignore even his request to take out a textbook.

"Kogami Yato-kun, please read this haiku for us," he stated, raising his chin at Yato, who acknowledged the teacher with a glare.

Whispers ran amok around the room, drawing Hiyori's attention to the students around her.

" _Ew, why is Kogami here?"_

" _I can't believe it!"_

" _Whoa, I'm surprised that slack-off even came to class today."_

Mr. Tenjin silenced the murmuring in seconds with a loud grunt, though Hiyori had already heard the nasty rumors whispered by her own classmates, making her sick to the stomach. She jumped when felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Hey, Iki," he whispered. "Can you give me your textbook?"

She glanced behind her, meeting his aquamarine eyes. _He's too close!,_ she fretted, panicking. Her mouth opened lamely- but as she was about to offer him an answer, Mr. Tenjin cut her off.

"Iki-san, please do not lend him your textbook. Kogami- properly ask me to borrow one, if you can't even remember to bring it in on the fifth day of school."

Yato muttered under his breath, before wearying a groan. "Tenjin, I don't really happen to have the book, so-"

" _Mr_. Tenjin," the teacher corrected. He sighed, making up his mind. "See me after class, Kogami. How about we have-"

" _Excuse me for the interruption. Could Iki Hiyori-san, of Class 1, Year 1, please report to the main office. Again, Iki_

 _Hiyori-san, please report to the main office."_

The announcement ended with an obnoxious beep. Hiyori's eyes widened, and she met Mr. Tenjin's gaze. Seeing his nod of approval, she stood up to leave, her head hanging low as she pondered over what she could possibly have been called down for. In her daze, however, she didn't feel Yato's eyes on her back as he watched her leave.

Hiyori exited the classroom, plodding down the hallway to the staircase. Her mind came up with several reasons for the broadcasted report. _Maybe I forgot to give them some paperwork,_ she thought. She twisted a lock of hair around her fingertips. _Or maybe, did I get in trouble for something?_

She hurried down the steps, her footsteps echoing throughout the empty corridor. She arrived on the first floor of the building in no time, and headed down the hallway to the main office. She approached the wooden door of the office, staring into its opaque glass pane. She exhaled, before knocking on it twice. Hiyori recognized a dark figure nearing the door, and jumped as the person opened the door for her.

Hiyori met the eyes of a young, male teacher. His stoic, emerald stare caused her to falter, before she was able to introduce herself. "Hello, I was just called down to the main office- I'm Iki Hiyori."

"Oh, Iki-san," the man narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm Kazuma Chouki, one of the office managers. Please follow me."

He led her to a corner of a large desk, motioning for her to sit down across from him. She observed his table, which remained neat and orderly. She gulped. His stern, unsmiling expression caused goosebumps to crawl up her arms.

"I'll cut to the chase. We received some news from the hospital." Hiyori felt her heart drop in her chest. "It's your mother; she appears to be in critical condition, and the faculty believed it best to notify you as soon as possible."

Her face paled. "W- When? When was she admitted?"

"A few days ago, they said."

Hiyori's eyes widened. "Masaomi, that idiot," she hissed under her breath. She lowered her head, forcing her eyes closed to hide the tears that had begun to form. She clenched the edge of her skirt. "C- Can I leave school to see her?"

"You could, but your record doesn't have any viable emergency phone numbers. The only one is your brother's, and he doesn't seem to be answering his phone at all. One of our staff members just checked."

The horrible tightening sensation in her chest grew. _He had lied to her._

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that you'll have to return to class," Kazuma said.

 _How_ dare _he lie to her? About their mother?_

"Iki-san?" the teacher asked. "I'm very sorry, but please return to class. I'll give you a pass."

 _He had lied to her, and their mother could die. Just like their father had._

Hiyori wiped her eyes forcefully before meeting the Kazuma's eyes again, his eyes widening at her shining, red ones. "Fine," she mustered.

* * *

Yato paced down the hallway, having been kicked out of class by an infuriated Mr. Tenjin. He realized he had to go to the bathroom, and headed in the direction of the restrooms. He turned a corner, and saw a girl- no, _Iki Hiyori_ \- leaning against a window in the hall, staring outside. He felt something grip his chest, and he knew it wasn't from the aches that his father or brother had caused him.

 _Maybe I can sneak past her_ , he thought, trying to tiptoe across the tiled floor- when he accidentally stepped on his own shoe, crashing onto the floor. He cried out, clutching his chest as a massive surge of pain seized his ribs.

Hiyori swiveled to the source of the noise, gasping at Yato's form, sprawled across the floor.

"Ow, shit," he muttered, getting up slowly and gripping his back. "That fu-" He paused, mid-curse, as he saw Hiyori's reddened, tear-streaked face. Something in his gut twisted, and his eyes widened. "H- Hey," he stammered. "What's-"

Hiyori lowered her head. "Nothing," she whispered, sniffling.

"B- But..." he trailed off, unable to take his eyes off of her shaking body.

"It's nothing, really. Please, leave me alone."

He wanted to leave; he honestly tried, with all his effort. But, he couldn't.

Realizing that he hadn't left the scene, Hiyori hung her head lower. "So you're going to abandon Yukine-kun, but not me." Her lips parted, and she took a deep breath. "Even though you've told _me_ to stay away, hundreds of times."

"Y- Yeah, but," he chuckled, sweat lining his forehead. "I'm not- heartless- and seeing a crying girl is- awkward."

She scoffed, finally meeting his eyes. His eyes widened at her glimmering orbs that reflected the lights of the hallway. "Not heartless? It sure seemed like it back at Yukine's place," she countered.

His eyes widened. "No, that wasn't..." he trailed off, unable to put his thoughts into actual words.

She heaved another sigh. "My mom might die," she bit out, averting her eyes from his gaze.

Yato took a sharp intake of breath.

 _Die?_

Hiyori's body started to crumple against the wall. "She might die, and my stupid brother didn't even tell me- he _lied_ to me about it," she rambled on. Her shoulders wracked with small sobs. "And I can't even go see her right now."

Yato froze as her words triggered memories within his mind.

' _Mommy! Where's Mommy?'_

' _She's dead, you stupid brat. It's all your fault, you bastard son-'_

He shook his head, forcing himself to leave the past. He gazed at Hiyori's solemn form. He took a step forward, but hesitated. Yato took his time to swallow a lump in his throat.

"Never mind," Hiyori mumbled, taking a step away from him. "It's... fine."

"Fine?" Yato asked, his brows furrowing. "A family member dying isn't _fine_." Hiyori's eyes widened, his bitter tone surprising her. "And go out there and help her, and then beat your brother up for lying to you."

Hiyori's lips parted in astonishment, and she swiveled to face him. She could only manage a few incoherent noises of surprise.

Seeing her bewildered expression, Yato had to avert his eyes. He began to feel butterflies in his chest. "N- Never mind. Pretend you didn't-"

"Thank you," Hiyori responded quickly, cutting him off, forgetting her previous anger at him for his maltreatment of Yukine. "Thank you so much, for listening to my stupid problems and giving me advice." Through the tears that marred her face scarlet, she gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Kogami-san. I really owe you."

With that, she left the scene. While Hiyori was still rubbing the redness out of her eyes, Yato could only stare at her departing form with a confused batch of mixed emotions.

* * *

 **A/N: yukine ;c and yato :c and everyone :cc**

 **-For anyone wondering, yes, I am posting spoilers/updates on my tumblr, writeyatori (it's also on my profile) so check that out, yeah? There are tiny tabs on the left side of my blog that are organized with important stuff.**

 **-I am... REALLY excited for the next chapter :D I've had it written for almost two months now, and I just have to edit and add (a lot of) stuff. It's the beginning of some actual yatori =) It should (key word: should) be updated by next Saturday-ish.**

 **-And- Kazuma! yepp, he's here. Making his name work was kind of hard, especially with Japanese name rules. I just decided to make his first name Kazuma and his last name "Chouki" (his vessel name), since in reverse, Chouki sounds like a really weird first name (coming from a Japanese person), even though Kazuma would function better as a last name in this story.**

 **-That little dumb haiku is my spur of the moment creation. The author's name is a play on the name of the famous poet, Matsuo Bashō.**

 **-I've reread and edited chapter so many times... Now, I just want to go rewatch Cardcaptor Sakura, or Totoro, or play some minecraft, or reread a book... or actually be productive and do homework. *keyboard smash***

 **Thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites everyone ^^ You are all too kind 333**

 **~exie =)**


	5. Chapter 5: Blossom

**A/N: Hello readers! Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows! Reviews in particular give me a little life ^^**

 **-For the beginning, I recommend listening to "My Imaginary Friend" from the Beyond Two Souls soundtrack. Pretty please? It's perfect for the scene ;)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami, or any mentioned music.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Blossom**

The day began with a drizzle. It was light, subtle rain; the kind that gave an atmospheric, beautiful quality to the city, painting the windows with spotty mosaics and drowning the beeps of the cars below with its steady pitter-patter.

It was the beginning of the first weekend, when most students celebrated their well-earned break after a full week of school. That was not the case, however, for some people- including Hiyori. She began her day with a dismal trip to the hospital.

Masaomi's inability to respond to any of Hiyori's frantic calls or texts had prevented her from going to the hospital after school on Friday. Her empty wallet and silent neighbors didn't help out, either. When her brother had woken her up the next morning, shaking her awake on the couch where she had fallen asleep watching some sad movie, she'd nearly screamed at him in rage. She'd thrown multiple pillows at him, demanding him of where he had been. He'd apologized multiple times, but Hiyori eyed him skeptically. She insisted that he take her to the hospital immediately, deciding to ask for a proper explanation later.

So, that was where they went. The two were slightly damp from their cross-city excursion, despite Masaomi having driven them most of the way, as well as the protection provided by Hiyori's umbrella. They were waiting in the quiet hotel lobby.

Hiyori nervously twirled a lock of hair around her pointer finger, and bit her lip. "How much longer do you think we have to wait until we can see Mom, Masaomi?" Hiyori asked, breaking the silence that had engulfed them since they had left the apartment. She turned to him, observing his fidgeting hands and restless feet. _It's rare to see him this nervous_ , Hiyori thought.

"I don't know- probably a few minutes," he answered, swallowing a thick lump in his throat. He met her eyes, trying to hold his gaze steady. With her frown and narrowed eyes, he knew she wasn't satisfied. "Okay, look- seriously, I'm sorry. I just couldn't leave the hospital yesterday."

"Why not?" Hiyori retorted, crossing her arms. "Don't you care about how _I_ felt after finding out that you lied to me about Mom's health? For a whole week, to add on to it?"

Masaomi didn't look away. "Look-"

"Don't tell me to look!" Hiyori fumed, raising her voice. Masaomi scanned the looks of disapproval upon the faces of nearby guests, wincing. "I know what I'm talking about. You were telling me a lie for a full week, just so I could find out from a school teacher that Mom was dying! Do you know how sick I felt?" She stood up from her seat, unable to contain her anger inside. "Do you even _care_ about my feelings at-"

"Of course I care about your feelings!" Masaomi rose from his seat, adjusting his glasses. "That's the whole reason I didn't tell you in the first place! It was my mistake; I thought that Mom would be fine, and so I didn't want to worry you and stress you out even more!" He took a step forward, making Hiyori take a step back. Her face was expressionless, save for her widened eyes. "That's the whole reason I didn't tell you, alright! Everyday, I felt terrible for lying to you, but I thought it was for the better; and guess what! Now, Mom's on her deathbed! And it's all my fault!" His head hung low, his shoulders falling in shame. After his outburst, he felt drained.

Hiyori stared at her brother in shock. _I didn't know he was thinking ahead like that for me_ , she thought, ashamed. But, still, her brother had broken her trust- something irreparable. "Masaomi, but-"

"Excuse me? Are you two members of the Iki family?" a voice asked. The two siblings turned to find a hospital nurse, who stood straight, giving them a stoic stare. They both quickly paralleled her posture and cleared their throats.

"Yes, we are," Masaomi answered for the two of them.

The nurse glanced at the two of them, giving them a small smile. "I'm sorry for intruding on you two, but it would really be best if you could keep quiet in the waiting room." She allowed them a moment to apologize before continuing. "I'm here to show you to your mother."

"Is- is she okay?" Hiyori asked, walking beside the nurse hurriedly.

"Yes, her conditions are stable, though she has slipped between consciousness and unconsciousness for a while," the nurse replied, nodding. She led them to the elevators, pressing a button. They waited a moment before entering, and the nurse continued. "The other day, her blood pressure spiked and her blood sugar skyrocketed, which led to further deterioration of her condition. It worsened yesterday, hence why we alerted both your home and school phones to notify you of her critical condition." The elevators beeped, and the doors opened. The nurse began to lead them down the hall, her heels clacking against the surface of the floor. "She is looking much better now, though. We still believe she should rest here for another week until we can completely stabilize her levels."

Hiyori nodded, following along closely. "Yes, yes, please," she agreed. "Please, help my mother in any way you can."

Masaomi glared at the back of her head, sighing. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we can afford to keep her in the hospital like this-"

The nurse stopped in front of a door marked G-8. "That's no worry," the nurse shook her head. "The national healthcare plan covers 70%, while an insurance company can pay a majority of the rest of the payment. You do have an insurance company, do you not, Iki-san?"

Masaomi clenched his jaw. "Yes- yes, we do."

"Then it should be no problem," the nurse replied, opening the door. "Your mother is inside. I will wait outside until you are finished seeing her."

Masaomi shared a glance with Hiyori, giving a forced smile. "Let's go, Hiyori."

Without sparing a moment for Masaomi, Hiyori ran into the room, rushing to her mother's bedside. "Mother!" she cried, grasping her mother's shoulder- though it was to no avail. Her mother lay unconscious; unmoving.

Wrinkles weighed in on Masaomi's forehead as he came to a stop beside his sister. "This is how she was the entire day, yesterday," he admitted. "It seems like she's not going to wake up for quite a bit. They were saying that her body is still extremely weak."

Hiyori's shoulders fell as she leaned against the bed for support. For some reason, her chest hurt; a kind of aching that made her try and grasp at the source of the pain for a release. "Okay," she whispered, taking a step back. The edges of her eyes were beginning to burn, tears threatening to fall at any moment. Masaomi watched as she took a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. "I- I have to go to work, now- so I can't stay."

Masaomi's eyes widened. "You got a job?"

"Yes," Hiyori answered, clearing her throat and throwing her head back to stop the tears from falling. She began to back away, slowly. "A tutoring job for a middle school boy. I'll walk there there- it's not that far from here." She turned around to leave, her head hanging low. "I have to leave, so I can't stay."

Masaomi watched as his sister walked away from him. "Wait, Hiyori, you can't just-"

"Please; don't tell me what to do anymore," Hiyori responded, not giving him a glance back. "I'm responsible, and I can take care of myself. Now that I know Mom is going to be fine, I'm going to leave the hospital for now."

With that, she pulled her umbrella out of her pocket and left the room, leaving her brother stunned by their mother's bedside.

* * *

"Yato!" Yukine yelled, thrusting his notebook into Yato's face. A detailed phallic drawing covered and entire page of math problems. "When the _hell_ did you doodle all of this on my homework?"

Yato rolled over on the floor, yawning. He grinned as he recognized the drawing. "I don't know- probably a few days ago."

"Well, can you erase it?" Yukine demanded, shoving it farther onto Yato's face. "You know, 'cause I have _tutoring_ today? With your classmate, Hiyori?"

Yato made a face at the mention of her name. "The girl, Iki?"

"Yes, 'the girl,'" Yukine mocked, imitating Yato's tone. "Didn't you remember she was coming today? Come on! We have to get ready!"

"Ready?" Yato repeated, eyeing Yukine warily. "Ready for what?"

"She's coming in less than thirty minutes, and my room's a mess!" Yukine yelled, gesturing to his messy excuse of a bedroom. "Mom's been yelling at me to clean this up the entire day!"

Yato glanced at the clock in the corner of the room, grimacing as he realized what time it was. He sighed, turning away from Yukine. "Sorry," he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I have work right now. I can't."

Yukine threw a quick glance at the clock, then glared at his friend, forgetting what Yato had told him a few days before. He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right now? How convenient." He took a step forward, patience waning. "You just want a free pass to leave because Hiyori's coming, right? Isn't that it? Just like yesterday, when you made me worry my ass off over where you were?"

Yato swiveled to Yukine, clenching his fist. "You think I'd _lie_ to you about something like that?" he demanded, voice dropping. Yukine's eyes widened, and he took a step back from Yato's piercing glare. "It's none of your business about where I went after I left- and no, I'm not that shallow to just leave because of a girl," he hissed. "Also, I _did_ tell you that I have work today, so I guess it's just your amnesia acting up, as usual."

Yukine winced. "Yeah- yeah, really?" he stammered, glaring at his friend. "Really? You're going to use _that_ as an excuse to leave, when I just had a panic attack from my amnesia _yesterday_?" He scoffed at Yato's impassive expression, deciding to bait him further. "You're becoming like your brother, aren't-"

Yato felt something inside his chest snap. His eyes burned with a livid anger as his fist came flying down upon Yukine's left cheek-

* * *

The rainy weather had continued since the morning, worsening throughout the day. Hiyori held her umbrella closer to her body, glad for the precipitation that masked the tears that had been running from her eyes. She pulled out her phone with trembling hands, checking for any words of apology from her brother. _Of course not_. She closed out of her messages, returning to a picture she had taken of Yukine's drawing to make sure she was heading in the right direction. She'd needed Yukine to draw her a little map from the central square in Tokyo city to his house, which, to her great luck, happened to be on the other side of the city from her apartment. The instructions she had received were a little scrambled and messy, and for a second she thought she was lost.

Suddenly, her pocket began to vibrate. She read the notification that had appeared on her screen- it was a new message from Yama, asking her to call her _immediately._ Hiyori selected her contact name, and held her phone up to her ear as it began to ring. She sniffled, clearing her throat.

" _Hiyori!"_ Yama's voice blared into Hiyori's ear, making her jump.

"What is it, Yama?" Hiyori asked, holding her phone away from her ear.

" _Let's go over to the shopping center! Ami can't go, but I really need new clothes!"_

Hiyori sighed, closing her eyes, though she smiled at hearing her friend's voice. "Yama, I'm busy, I can't-"

" _Oh, come on! Please-"_

"Yama-chan, I'd really love to, but I have to tutor the boy, Sagami Yukine-kun now," Hiyori said, satisfied with the quiet that settled over the line. "So, I'm sorry, but I have to go now."

" _Well, watch out for him, alright, Hiyori? He's, like, a middle school fuckboy!"_

"Yama-!"

 _Beep._

Yama had hung up on her. Hiyori glared at her phone in irritation, before shoving it into her pocket. _Yukine isn't even like that!,_ she huffed, continuing to search for any familiar houses from yesterday. To her luck, after scanning a few more houses she passed by, she finally recognized Yukine's home. She hurried to the front gates, pushing them to the side, surprised to find that they opened with ease. She headed up the walkway, approaching the door. She paused. She held up her phone, staring at her reflection in the dark screen, wiping away the tears and redness from her eyes until she was satisfied. She pushed the doorbell.

 _Ring!_ A satisfying chime noise sounded from within the house. Hiyori could hear shuffling from within the house, and a blurry figure approached the splotchy glass panes that surrounded the door frame. The door opened, revealing a smiling, dark-haired, middle-aged woman.

"Ah, you must be Iki Hiyori-san! Please, come in." The lady stepped back to allow her to enter, and Hiyori smiled out of courtesy. "Oh, you're so much more lovelier in person that I could have ever imagined over the phone!"

Hiyori blushed, laughing politely. "Thank you, Sagami-san. It's such a pleasure to meet you." Setting her shoes off to the side, she slipped on a cute pair of red slippers that Yukine's mother had readied for her. "I'm sorry I couldn't introduce myself to you yesterday afternoon- I'm afraid I had to leave before it got too dark."

"It's alright!" Yukine's mother laughed, throwing her head back. "I'm glad you got to know him. Yukine has been excited to meet you again!" Hiyori narrowed her eyes. From her demeanor, it seemed as though his mother was clueless as to why Hiyori had actually visited. "He's upstairs on the first door on the left. Please excuse him though, I think Yato is here, too." Hiyori's eyes widened with recognition, remembering her confrontation with him yesterday. "He's Yukine's friend, but I love him as though he were my actual son. He's been staying here for a while now. I'll tell him to get to his own room later- but! I never got the chance to ask! What grade are you in, Hiyori-chan?"

"I'm a first-year in the high school," Hiyori said. "I know Kogami-san. He's in my homeroom and some of my classes."

Mrs. Sagami laughed. "Oh, that's wonderful! You two won't need an introduction, then!" She rolled her eyes, gesturing wildly. "Too bad they're always fighting, though. Teenage boys are always like that, I suppose."

Hiyori cocked her head to the side, remembering their altercation yesterday. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep them under control, together-"

"Oh, I'm sure they would listen to you, Hiyori-chan- being a beautiful young woman, and a smart one at that!" Mrs. Sagami laughed at the way Hiyori shook her head, blushing out of embarrassment. "Alright. Now, off you go- his room's the first door on the left when you go up the staircase. I'll bring you some snacks in a bit, for a break?" Mrs. Sagami suggested.

"That sounds great!" Hiyori nodded in appreciation, offering another round of thank-yous, and turned to walk up the stairs. She lightly swung her satchel back and forth, mulling over the worries in her head. As she approached the said 'first door on the left,' however, Hiyori heard something that made her pause.

" _-while I was having a panic attack from my amnesia!"_ A muffled, yet distinctly younger boy's voice yelled from behind the door. Hiyori's eyes widened. Before she could stop herself, she twisted the doorknob and threw the door open as quickly as she could- to a sight that made her jaw drop.

Two boys, one leaning over the other, ready to _punch_ the boy below him-

Yato turned around as soon as he heard the click of the doorknob, pausing right before his fist came in actual physical contact with Yukine's face. To his shock, it was Hiyori.

"Kogami-san!" Hiyori gasped in surprise, recognizing the boy immediately. "What- what are you doing to Yukine-kun!"

"Ow, it hurts, Yato! Ow!" Yukine feigned pain, clutching the side of his face with both hands, smirking behind the palm of his hand.

Yato glared at Yukine in his grasp, rolling his eyes. He let go of his friend.

Hiyori folded her arms over her chest, placing one foot forward to assert authority over the situation. "I can't believe you! How could you do that to this poor boy!" Hiyori stomped over towards him, though Yato didn't react outwardly. Yukine pretended to cry out in pain as he got up, and 'failed' miserably. Noticing this, Hiyori grabbed Yato by the front of his shirt with the intent to throw him out of the room- well, more so the house itself. Muttering to herself as she pushed him, despite some protest, out of the room, Yato was just able to see a glimpse of Yukine throwing a proud middle finger in the air before Hiyori stepped in the way.

"I never knew you were like this, beating up boys younger than you! It's hard to believe that this is what you're actually like!" Hiyori could barely contain her irritation, her face flaming up.

Despite her cross temper, he didn't make an attempt to fight back. Instead, Yato averted his eyes from her countenance. "Whatever," he muttered, turning around to leave.

Hiyori's eyes widened at his aloofness. Wearied from the day's events, she let out a breath. She stared at his back for not a second longer before she took a step back and slammed the door closed. She turned around, noticing Yukine staring at her in awe.

Snapping out of her reverie, she looked over his face and remembered his near-injury. "Oh! Yukine-kun, are you hurt? I'm so sorry!" Hiyori rushed over to where he was sitting, taking a seat on the extra futon next to Yukine on the floor, brushing her skirt underneath her in order to sit down. "I don't really have anything for injuries, but maybe you can use the ice pack from my water bottle? It doesn't hurt still, does it?"

Yukine watched Hiyori take her pink water bottle out of her satchel, unwinding the ice pack off of it and checking his face to see which side he was hurt on. He observed her countenance, eyeing the red tint around the edges of her eyes, narrowing his own as he watched her. _What's up with her eyes? Was she..._

"Which side- um, did he punch?" Hiyori questioned, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Yukine blushed at her close proximity to his face, feeling a whisper of her breath on his skin. His face burned red; it was difficult for him to muster words correctly. "I- uh- my left side. Left cheek on- m-my face," he stammered, mentally cursing himself at his inability to speak.

Noticing his discomfort, Hiyori smiled at him as she lightly pressed the ice pack to his face. Yukine jumped at the icy sensation that quickly spread across his face, numbing it. "Does that feel any better?" Hiyori asked.

Yukine noticed how he could feel her warm fingers on his cheek around the cold ice pack. He tore his eyes away from hers, before nodding, hoping it would suffice for an answer.

"Here," Hiyori said, grasping his wrist and replacing her hold on the ice pack with his hand. "Are you okay now? I think we should start studying," Hiyori said, pulling her textbooks out of her bag and placing them on the table. Each responded with a thud against the wooden desk. "You needed help with geometry, yesterday, right? Do you still need more help with that?"

"Y- Yeah." Yukine felt the tension in the air grow thick as he waited for her to organize her books. Without thinking, he blurted, "Were you crying?"

Hiyori stopped breathing for a moment. Then, she inhaled, as she slowly turned to him. "W- What?" she stuttered.

Gauging her reaction, Yukine rephrased his question. "Why were you crying?"

Her gaze fell to the floor as soon as she felt her eyes begin to water again. "I- I..." she trailed off. Why had it been so easy to tell Yato, yesterday, during school? _With Yukine, it feels like something is stopping me from telling him the reason_. "I'm sorry. It's personal."

Yukine stared at her for a moment, before saying, "I get it." He nodded, brushing off the tension in the air. "Let's start studying."

* * *

After getting kicked out of Yukine's room, Yato sighed. He'd deserved that; kind of. In a wearied daze, he headed down the stairs, walking over to the coat rack, picking up his backpack from the floor. He unzipped it, making sure the forms were inside. He zipped it closed, quickly slinging it over his shoulders. From the coat rack, he chose the long overcoat he always wore for his work, taking care to slip it over the back pack.

"Oh, Yato-kun, you're leaving now?" Mrs. Sagami asked from behind him, making him jump. _Damn, I didn't even notice her presence,_ he thought _._ He turned to her, observing the snacks and steaming cups of tea that she was carrying on a tray. He glanced at her genuine, smiling expression, feeling a weight in his chest at her naiveté.

"Yeah, I have some- ah, business to do," he replied, looking away from her. He threw the hood of the jacket over his head.

"It must be busy, working all the time," she remarked. She gave him a gentle pat on his back. "Well, have a good night!"

Yato lost sight of her as she ascended the staircase. "A good night, huh?" he muttered, unlocking the door and taking a step to the rainy outside, catching a whiff of the thick, humid air. "Don't make me laugh."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry guys. I had to split this chapter in half due to length, but I promise in the next chapter (which is almost done), there's a yatori scene, as well as insight into Yato's business.**

 **-Next chapter should be posted in less than a week: I'm thinking by Wednesday-ish?**

 **-School, friend & family problems are all pretty tiring, as well as my terrible anxiety-ridden mind not making things easy for me. Good thing is though, I have a whole week break next week, so it'll be prime time for me to get a break to pump out some writing:) (As well as getting some sleep like a normal human being.) **

**-Also: THE NEW chapter of noragami! Well, I** _ **was**_ **excited for it, but it was kind of meh-ish in my opinion. Nothing huge happened =( But then again, I read the raws and sometimes I have trouble with complex Japanese words, so important parts of the plot go right over my head (oops…)**

 **-Question: Should I watch the anime "erased"? It keeps coming up on my dash and it looks pretty interesting. Or, if anyone has any anime recommendations, feel free to tell me... I don't have much to do this break.**

 **-As always, I post updates on my tumblr, "writeyatori"! I really love talking to readers and other noragami/anime in general fans, so check it out =)**

 **Thanks for reading everyone! Really, your reviews, favorites & follows are great motivation for me to write ^^**

 **~exie/XZ (it reads the same!)**


	6. Chapter 6: Unravel

**A/N: Yay! My most exciting chapter thus far, in my opinion. Let's get right to it…**

 **-Also, sorry if there are any grammar mistakes. I didn't really get to edit this as much as I would have liked to.**

 **-TW: Abuse, Violence**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: ...Unravel**

The rain was persistent into the night.

The sky was an ugly mosaic of charcoal and chalky hues. Waves of the downpour fell in occasional torrents, striking the city windows and car hoods. Under the brutal deluge of the skies, city goers hurried their pace, clutching their umbrellas closer to themselves. Lights seemed to reflect on for eternity into the reflective surface of the roads, where impatient drivers honked and swerved.

Yato blended in smoothly into the cityscape. His dark coat allowed him to merge with the gloomy hues of Ueno, the dirty, notorious district of Tokyo. Being used to these missions, he knew exactly which streets to avoid, and which alleyways to take.

Glancing at his surroundings, he grimaced; to his shame, the broken windows and shady figures loitering on the streets had become familiar to him. He tugged his hood over his head, using his hand to slick the soaked hair underneath. From his back protruded his moderately-sized backpack, wherein hid the essentials for his job. His eyes were icy, steely; his empty gaze fixated on the assignment that was his, and his alone. He understood exactly how the dealer handled business- it was nothing new to him. It wasn't something he would ever ask for, but he didn't have any say in the matter- not unless he wanted to face the wrath of his father or brother.

Another onset of the deluge snapped him out of his reverie, and he suddenly realized that he stood in front of the dealers' building. _Damn, what a mess it's become in just a few weeks,_ he thought, grimacing as he did a once-over of the brick walls. The windows were covered in patches of wooden planks, along with messy scrawls of spray paint. Its vandalized wooden door and crumbling structure elucidated the neglect it received.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Yato strode in through the entryway, exerting little effort to open the loose door. It let out a drawn out _creak_ as it closed behind him. As the darkness enveloped him, his footfalls slowed; if he tried hard enough, he might've been able to hear himself breathe.

"Kugaha," Yato called out into the shadows. "I'm here for the usual deal."

Silence. Then, laughter. It echoed throughout the building, alluding to the emptiness of the interior. Yato rolled his eyes. _Of course, Kugaha, of all people, would make such a showy entrance._

"Yato-san," a voice slurred, before a few lights turned on, softening the darkness, revealing the filthy interior of the room. Broken glass bottles lay strewn across the floor, and wooden boxes sloppily labeled with red paint were stacked high to the ceiling. Kugaha, sitting atop a small mound of them, grinned. "You should be grateful. This time, your old man gave you an easy one."

"I assumed," Yato stated, pulling his hood off his head, uncloaking the wet, static mess of his hair. "Just give me the goods for the deal."

"Who said it would be _that_ easy, though?" Kugaha grinned, eyes wide. He leapt off his box and landed in a smooth crouch on the floor. "Gimme a tip. Y'know, from that part-time job you have, at the- what was it- the Sagami's place? That tutoring, and counseling for amnesia, was it?"

Yato's eyes widened. Kugaha was the last person who should know about that. He tried to exhale, chuckling in an attempt to play off his tension. "What are you talking about? I'm not employed," Yato snorted. "How would I even get a job?"

Kugaha chuckled, though his eyes were frigid as they stared into Yato's. "The defensive ones are always the liars."

A chill ran down Yato's spine. Memories of bruises and hospital beds raced through his mind. How could he stand up against Kugaha, or his father? They were both brutal. Yato swallowed, feeling a thick lump in his throat, and his gaze fell to the floor in shame. "How much," Yato murmured.

"Ah- around a thousand, sounds good."

"A thousand," Yato repeated, eyebrows furrowing. He became aware of his hands trembling inside his coat pockets as he glanced up at Kugaha. The man slowly began to approach him with a scowl on his face, and Yato staggered backwards. "You're joking. That's a month's worth-"

 _Smack!_

Yato let out a guttural cry as Kugaha's fist crashed into the side of his face. A ragged cough stumbled from his lips, and to his horror, he saw blood splatter across the wall. For a few seconds, he tried to regain his balance. Half of his face was pounding with excruciating pain, and he felt like he'd lost control of his senses.

A hand- Kugaha's- gripped the collar of his jacket, seizing him up. "Give me the god _damn_ money," Kugaha growled. "It only gets me a weeks worth of supply, but I still keep using you as my damn supplier, so be fucking grateful. And I know you keep that shit on you- wouldn't want the rest of your family finding out you gotta job and some cash, would you?" He sneered.

Yato's vision blurred, then dimmed, then focused once more. _Family_ , he thought. Images of Yukine ran through his mind, alongside Iki Hiyori helping him during his panic attack, as well as his brother's prevalent grin. His eyes widened. _Why did the girl's face, just..._

Kugaha's leering face loomed over him, sending Yato a threatening message through his eyes. Yato regained his footing, his boots crunching against the cement floor. "F-Fine," he spluttered. This wasn't the place and time for him to be reminiscing on better times.

Kugaha's grin widened. "Good. Hand over the money; and the documents, too."

Begrudgingly, Yato slipped off his pack with trembling fingers. Specks of blood dripped from his chin onto his hands. He pulled out the manila envelope and handed it over to Kugaha, who cackled with glee. Yato hesitated, before reaching into his front pocket to pull out a dark wallet, quickly handing over a wad of bills.

"Thanks, Yato-san," Kugaha called, bowing in a mocking fashion. "Til' next time." The lights dimmed to darkness, save for the sparse light that peeked in through the faulty window paneling. Yato let out a weak scoff. _What is this, some kind of horror movie?_

Raising a hand to his cheek, he cringed. It would leave an ugly bruise that he would have to wear on the walk home. Home- with Yukine, and his mother, and... Iki Hiyori.

* * *

"So, here, tangent of x equals sine over cosine of x, so..." Hiyori said, her pencil trailing the problems in Yukine's notebook. He wrote out the rule, then made a noise of understanding as he solved the rest of the question.

"So the answer is nine over thirteen, because three cancels out the thirty-nine, here," Yukine remarked, circling the answer. He smiled in relief as he saw her nod.

"Yes! That's right!" Hiyori approved, checking the answer in her book. She then glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing that they had already spent an hour studying. "Yukine-kun, do you want to take a break?"

He nodded quickly, adding, "Yeah, that'd be awesome." While Hiyori stood up to retrieve her satchel across the room, Yukine raised his arms, stretching his back. Then, glancing at the now-melted ice pack on his desk, he was reminded of his fight with Yato. He sighed, and fell backwards onto the floor.

Hiyori heard his exhale, and turned to him. "Is there something wrong, Yukine-kun?"

"Ugh," he groaned, bringing his arm up to shield his eyes from the light. "Sometimes, I don't know if Yato is actually lying to me, or if it's actually my amnesia," he spoke.

Hiyori hesitated. "What- what do you mean?"

"I think that I usually just forget minor things, with my amnesia," he said, thinking back on the past. "So my panic attack at the mall, with you, was... worse than usual. But, I didn't tell my mom, because I didn't think..." he trailed off, exhaling again.

Hiyori watched him, frowning slightly. "I think you should tell her, Yukine-kun," she advised, taking a seat on the floor. "She's your mother, after all. But, about what you said before- I don't think Kogami-san would lie to you."

He suddenly turned to look at her. "Huh?" After waiting for her response for a few moments, and receiving none, he continued. "Why?"

"Because..." Hiyori paused, thinking. "From what I've seen, he seems stubborn in his ways, and you two have been friends for a while, right?" Seeing Yukine nod, she went on. "Well, during school yesterday, he really helped me out with some of my own problems. At the time, I was glad, but also confused. Now, looking back on it, I can see that he kept talking to me because he's actually a caring person. A careless person wouldn't've stayed."

Yukine's eyes widened as he listened to her analysis. Had she been analyzing both of them this much, the whole time? Or was she just a perceptive person? "You're... so- you're saying that, he wouldn't lie to me, because he's stubborn and caring?"

Hiyori let out a small giggle. "Sounds funny the way you say it, but yup! That's what I was thinking."

Yukine let a smile tug at the corner of his face. "He would freak out if he knew someone analyzed him that quickly," he said, glancing at the clock once more. A frown grew across his face. Had it really been an hour since Yato had left to go to work? When he was with Hiyori, it felt as though time moved more slowly.

Hiyori followed his line of sight. "Are you worried about where he is?" she asked.

Yukine's cheeks heated up slightly. "I-I guess," he admitted. "I can tell how much I should worry by how he acts. He's kinda obvious with his emotions."

Hiyori nodded subconsciously. "Well, how much- how much do you think we should worry about him, tonight?"

Yukine gazed off, to the side. "A lot," he confessed. "He's been acting dick-ish the entire week." He quickly covered his mouth, horrified that he had let slip an expletive. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"So you remember general behavior?" Hiyori asked, regarding him with curious eyes. "But not details?"

Yukine was slightly taken aback. She'd ignored his accidental slip of a curse word? "Y-Yeah. I think." He paused. "I know that he's been stressed the past week, and it's not just from school, because he doesn't really care about that."

Hiyori's brows furrowed. "Wait," she began. "I don't know if you can tell me, but... why does Kogami-san live here?"

Yato turned to her out of surprise. "Well, he..." he trailed off. Could he tell her? Yato would be livid with him, but she was practically already involved with them, right? _Well, as long as I keep it brief,_ he figured. "Yeah, he- he doesn't have a great family. So, he ran away about a year ago to stay here."

Hiyori sucked in a breath in surprise, remembering the moment after school when Yato had driven off in a car. Yukine had also been with her. "So, that day, after school, you said his brother was in the car with Kogami-san, right?" Yukine's eyes widened. She remembered that? He considered denying it, but after staring into her curious eyes, he gave a small nod. "Why was his brother...?"

"I don't know," Yukine answered, scowling. Why did Yato keep going back to his terrible family, when he already had him? "Yato doesn't tell me much. Actually, I hate how he doesn't tell me anything."

Hiyori frowned at Yukine. To her surprise, she realized that his fists were trembling in his lap. _He just wants the best for his friend,_ Hiyori thought. _Even with his own problems, he still manages to think about others._ She watched his expression shift from a frown to a glazed over indifference. "Well, I think that he's just a private person," she commented, trying to alleviate his frustration. "And that it's hard for him to open up to anyone. If what you said about his family is true, well..." she averted her eyes to the floor. "It's hard to discuss personal issues with other people, even your best friends-"

"But I don't get it!" Yukine snapped, making Hiyori jump in surprise. He stood up, wet eyes shining under the bedroom lights. "He always helps me out with my amnesia episodes, because I tell him about all the problems _I'm_ having. Then, he goes around doing whatever without telling me, not telling me any of _his_ problems!"

Hiyori patiently waited for him to finish his outburst. When he finished, he sat down and huffed. "Yukine-kun," she started. "You're just really worried for him, aren't you?"

"What?" Yukine mumbled. "I mean, I-" he cut himself off, huffing. She was right, again. _God damn it._ "How are- how are you so perceptive?"

Hiyori cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean? I just try to help out people if I can."

His eyes widened, and his fists unclenched. How did she have such a calming influence on him? Instead of snapping again, he looked away shyly. "Can we start studying again?"

Hiyori smiled at him. "Of course," she agreed.

* * *

After another hour of fervent studying and a few bouts of frustration thrown in, Hiyori and Yukine both took deep stretches, deciding to end the tutoring session. As Hiyori packed up her books and organized them in her bag as she prepared to leave, she was stopped by Yukine.

"Hiyori?" Yukine asked, quietly.

Hiyori turned to him. "Yes?"

"Can you make sure that Yato doesn't do anything stupid at school?" he asked. His fingers fidgeted nervously under the table.

Hiyori stared at him for a few seconds. "I will," she answered, tightening the grip on her bag. She smiled at the way he avoided her gaze. "I'll be back on Tuesday, okay?"

Yukine swiveled to her with surprised eyes. "That soon?"

"Yes," she replied. "I agreed to meet with you every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with your mother."

"Oh- oh, okay," he answered, glancing at her shyly. "See you- see you Tuesday?"

"I'll see you then!" Hiyori responded, wearing a bright smile as she left his room.

* * *

Yato's boots slogged through the soppy, muddied streets, splashed by the occasional car that passed by. His drenched bangs hung low, leaving trails of water running down his forehead. His cheek burned from where Kugaha had pummeled him. He grazed it with his fingertips and winced- it would surely leave an ugly bruise for a couple of days. As with all 'appointments', he was leaving both physically scarred and mentally shaken.

The rain had weakened, turning to a light drizzle; a quiet din for the agony of his mind. After what felt like hours of stumbling through dark alleyways and trampling over mounds of trash, he began to hear the clamor of the songs and advertisements from the main city square, as well as the commotion of citizens and tourists causing a racket. Despite the overcast weather, the intersection was as busy as usual, albeit covered by a flurry of umbrellas.

Yato exhaled, exhausted from the long journey from Ueno to the central hub of Roppongi, Tokyo. He approached a store, where models wearing expensive outfits were on display in the glass window. He plunked himself down on the small ledge. Hoards of people walked by in a blur, lights from cars and taxis traveling through his line of vision. He burrowed his pounding head in between the cover of his aching legs. _If only he could just- fall asleep then and there..._

"Hello, sir?" A feminine voice called. "Sir, if you're awake," Yato slowly tugged his head upwards, towards the noise. "You should go and buy some food with this money..." The words died on the stranger's lips the instant sapphire met amethyst.

Yato couldn't seem to move his mouth. He opened his mouth dumbly, without thinking- "I- uh, I'm not homeless-"

Hiyori's eyes widened in alarm. "K-Kogami-san..? What happened to your face?" she cried, her eyes quickly taking in the features of his countenance. She took a sharp intake of breath. "You-"

"Nothing," he muttered, his face souring into a frown. "It's nothing." Yato shot up, pulling his hood over his head. "I have to go." He turned around to leave, brisk, yet haggard steps taking him away from her standing form. Hiyori watched his retreating back, paralyzed. _She couldn't just leave him like that, could he?_ That welt- the left side of his face had been purple, with blood running from the corner of his lip. _That couldn't have been just an accident._

He was blending well into the crowd, but Hiyori was not one to give up so easily. After hearing Yukine's words of concern, there was no way she could let him walk around the city alone. She craned her neck in vain, trying to overlook the heads of the fast-paced city goers. _God, why is this an exact repeat of chasing Yukine, yesterday?_ She hurried her stride, pushing through the crowd. She ran against the deluge that pounded against her umbrella, while bumping into tourists, crying out "excuse me's," and tripping over her own feet. She didn't know why, but her heart tugged at her body to push herself to help him- to save him. He had looked so, _so_ , lonely, so weak and alone, sitting on the wet ledge all by himself.

"Kogami-san!" She yelled, cupping her mouth with pale hands. "Kogami-san!"

 _Why was he so far away? How was he so elusive?_ She'd known that he'd wanted to stay alone at school because he didn't want anyone involved in his problems- well, why couldn't he allow someone like her to help him, especially at desperate times like this?

She came to a stop at an intersection as the traffic lights turned red. Cars began to drive over the white lines of the crosswalk, illuminating the other side of the road; and that was when she saw him again. His figure, cloaked in black, with the signature purple welt on his cheek. He hurried across the side of the street, moving farther and farther away from where she stood. And, suddenly, to her horror, he tripped and fell, landing with a splash in a puddle.

The cars in the street came to an eventual stop. As soon as the crosswalk light turned white, she ran across to the other side of the street, to him, who sat on his hands and knees. "Kogami Yato-san!" she cried, nearing his frame.

For a brief moment, Yato paused, hearing his name being called. His gaze slowly turned to the source, recognizing Hiyori as she walked towards him. _Why was she still looking for him?_ He inhaled deeply, and fell into a coughing fit. His head was pounding, and his muscles were crying from excruciating pain.

She paused, breathing heavily. She approached him until she was just a few feet away. He reciprocated her stare with fluttering eyes.

"Let's go to the hospital." Hiyori held out her hand, face set with determination. "You need medical atten-"

"No, not the hospital," Yato muttered, shaking his head as he lamely stood up with the help of her hand. "Anywhere but the hospital."

Hiyori opened her mouth, then closed it partway. She decided to ignore his aversion to hospitals for the moment, knowing that everyone had their fears. She thought of plausible options, tapping her chin. "You should come to my house, then," she urged.

"Y-Your house?" Yato stumbled out, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks. "No, that's-"

"I'm bringing you," she insisted. "Can you hold my hand?" His eyes widened, lips parting to refuse- but he hesitated. His cheek still throbbed, he noticed.

"O-Okay," he agreed. Before he even had the change to react, she already had a loose grip on his arm, pulling him. He grunted as he nearly tripped over his own feet, and Hiyori swiveled back to look at him, biting her lip.

"Sorry, are your legs hurt, too?" she asked.

"No, I just tripped," Yato replied hastily, though awkwardly. When he saw her worried expression, he felt his heart thud within his chest. Were all people supposed to be this- gentle, and make him feel this warm?

"Oh, okay," Hiyori spoke. "My house is an apartment, two blocks down. Can you make it? Or do you want me to carry you on my back?"

"C-Carry me?" Yato spluttered. "N-No, ah- I'm fine."

"If you say so," Hiyori acknowledged, eyes reflecting her concern. "You can still lean on me, if you want to."

Yato felt blood creeping into his cheeks, and he looked down, fumbling with the sleeve of his coat. He shook his head. He didn't know why, but he let her get close enough to him so that he could lean on her.

Keeping an arm over his shoulders, her other hand holding an umbrella over the two, Hiyori led them through the busy streets of Tokyo. Yato almost tripped on the feet of passerby, several times, but he managed to keep his balance. He observed the back of her head. The top of her hair was matted wet, although the rest that had avoided the graze of rain fell as it normally did, cascading down her back like strands of silk. While he was absorbed in her qualities, he didn't realize that she had come to a halt, and almost crashed into her back. He took a moment to regain his balance.

"This is my apartment building," she spoke, pointing to her apartment building. "Follow me."

* * *

"Ouch!" he hissed, pulling away from her and leaning against her bed.

Hiyori apologized, taking away some of the pressure that she had been using to hold the disinfectant pad against his face. "I'm sorry, you're just going to have to bear through this," she whispered, concentrated on fixing the damage to his face. "Just one more time-"

"Agh!" he cried. "How are you so ruthless with doctor-ish stuff? Damn."

She smiled as she heard his usual tone return to his voice. "It's because I'm interested in becoming one, when I'm older," Hiyori replied, whilst grimacing. Despite being satisfied with the amount of blood she had cleaned from his face, it had created a mess of dirty towels and cloth on her floor.

"Oh," he answered, flinching once again as she applied more pressure.

"I'm finished," she spoke, handing him an ice pack. He pressed it against his face. She chuckled, and Yato felt a sudden pang in his chest. "This is just like a repetition of a few hours ago, with Yukine," she whispered, her smile fading. The two were similar, though they never seemed to realize it.

Yato winced as he traced the contour of his cheek. To be in this close of proximity with a girl was; odd, or slightly nerve-wracking, to say the least. "So, how did the tutoring for Yukine go?" he said, his breathing ragged. He glanced at her preoccupied countenance.

"Good, but- wait, are you changing the subject?" she asked. She crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. "You still have a lot of questions to answer, you know."

He looked down, feeling a slight weight in his chest. "I know. I still can't tell you much."

"Why?" she persisted. "I don't understand. I'd want to help. Your family-"

"My family?" Yato retorted, clenching his fist. "God damn it, Yukine-"

Hiyori shook her head fervently. "No, he didn't tell me much!" she denied. "If anything, it was my fault."

Yato sighed, combing a hand through his wet hair. "Everyone has their own secrets they want to keep, don't they?" his gaze boring into hers. "You probably do, too, but I respect the secrets of strangers as well." He narrowed his eyes. "You really, really don't want to get involved with me."

Hiyori gulped. _The same thing, over and over again_ , she thought. "I-I don't know how- you always look so- lonely, all the time. I can see it," she continued, gripping her shirt tightly. "I just want to help you. And, we're not strangers, by the way, Kogami-san."

Yato felt his heart stop for a second. His mouth opened, but he couldn't seem to form any words. How did she- how did she make him feel this way, in just a matter of a few seconds? A warmth spread throughout his chest, rising to his face.

"So, can you at least tell me who hurt you?" she asked. She had placed her hand near his, and their fingers were almost touching. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears.

"It's-" he paused. "I've never told anyone, not even Yukine really, but," he continued in a low voice. "You have to promise not to tell anyone."

"I promise," she insisted, matching his stare with equal intensity.

He exhaled. "It's for this- job. And the guy I always meet is pretty violent, with a short fuse."

Hiyori's eyes widened- Yukine's guess had been accurate, after all! "Why are you working for someone like that?" she asked, creases of worry marring her forehead.

"No, I can't get out of it- I can't really talk about it," he spoke. His entire body slumped. "It's just- I don't know. My whole life is fucked up."

"No, there has to be a way," Hiyori insisted. "I can help you, somehow, right?"

A ridiculous notion came to Yato's mind, and his chest began to pound. His face burned. How could he even think of something like that? "I'm not sure," he responded, looking down. Her finger had edged closer to his hand, and he felt a light tingling at the bridge of contact.

"Well," Hiyori said, thinking. She pulled her hand away, making Yato subconsciously frown. "How much does Yukine know?"

"Enough," he replied. He then realized that he was getting tired, fast, with his vision blurring before him. His head pounded, and his cheek throbbed. Noticing her eyes of disapproval, he slipped out, "Ah... that's a code word for nothing..."

"K-Kogami-san!" Hiyori cried as he nodded off onto her shoulder. She shook him lightly. "Are you-"

Yato recovered quickly, groaning. Noticing he was leaning on her shoulder, he leapt off. "Ah- oh God! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," she replied, a modest smile decorating her countenance. "But also, um- I think you should stay here."

"Stay?" he repeated. "Stay where?"

"Like, in my house," she replied, blushing slightly. "I don't mean it in an inappropriate way! It's just-"

"W-What !" he stuttered, taking a step back. "You- I-I should sleep on the couch- wait, why am I sleeping over?"

"I don't think you're in any position to go back to Yukine's place tonight," she answered. "So, um, I'm offering for you to stay the night?"

His face had turned bright red. "I-I mean, that's..." He couldn't find it in himself to finish the sentence.

"Sorry, my brother's kind of coming very home soon, and it would be bad if he saw you here, because we're not exactly on good terms right now," she chuckled awkwardly. His eyes flashed with recognition as he remembered what she had told him yesterday, through teary eyes- _my brother lied to me, and my mother might die!_ "So you would have to stay in my bedroom, because this house doesn't have any extra rooms, and my brother would be able to see us in my mother's room."

He watched her comb her messy, wet hair with slender fingers. "Stay the night," he repeated, to which Hiyori nodded. So many thoughts were racing through his mind- how could he stay in a girl's house, in her _bedroom?_ How could he do this without telling Yukine? What if her brother found them? _Wait, how would Kouto even find out?_ He rolled his eyes. It wasn't like they were doing anything inappropriate, were they? He knew that he shouldn't worry so much, but he still did. His face was still on fire- he couldn't force himself to look her in the eyes, even if he tried.

"And I would set my own futon bed in here, so we wouldn't have to share a bed," Hiyori continued, blushing lightly at her suggestion. "That would work, right?"

"Y-Yeah, I guess," he responded.

* * *

 _Maybe if you did this for me every time, that's all the help I need_ , he'd thought.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh, yeah. This is where it starts getting fun ;)**

 **-So, I was thinking I could release my next chapter by... next Friday? I'm sorry for the late release, but I'm just not sure if I have enough time to write up a decent chapter in time.**

 **-I watched Erased, and my mind's blown. It's a great show! Also, again, my ears are always open (?) for some good romance anime :D**

 **-Sorry, guys, if there are changes in my update schedule. I'm going through really rough times right now, and it's been really stressful. Hopefully, things get better soon :c But thank you to all who have been understanding to my problems- I really, really appreciate it.**

 **-Find me on tumblr writeyatori for any special news or updates.**

 **-Anddd, I always have to say I love you guys and your sweet comments and favs/follows C:**

 **~exie**


	7. Chapter 7: Awaken

**A/N: I apologize for this being so late :c I've barely edited this omg- 2AM writing is not very trustworthy, but I really wanted to publish it as soon as possible.**

 **-Thank you for the follows, favorites and very kind reviews c: They are nice motivation, and I also really appreciate it when you guys critique the characterization and plot. And also, yes, I am grateful for the guest reviews as well :^)**

 **-TW: mentions of child abuse**

 **-Disclaimer: Don't own Noragami- if I did, Yato and Hiyori would be together already.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Awaken**

 _Bandages._

 _Bruises, and a cry._

 _A deep, sinking terror that made him want to hurl-_

Yukine awoke with a start, panting so much that his chest rapidly heaved in and out, in and out. Panic darted through him, making him scan his surroundings in a terrified stupor. His heart rate began to slow down as he realized that he was in his room, and his books were still as he had left them on his desk when Hiyori's tutoring ended.

 _Hiyori_.

As his breathing slowed, he felt his rationality return to him. He raised a hand to his forehead, feeling the beads of sweat that had accumulated there. "Why was I...?" he murmured to himself, inspecting the dampness of the back of his hand. He pinched the surface of his skin. _I'm not dreaming anymore_.

Suddenly, the door slammed open, and Yukine swiveled to the source of the noise to see Yato stride in. That was when Yukine remembered- he had been worrying about Yato's return all night, after Hiyori left! As Yato turned to face him, Yukine cried, "Yato!"

Yato gave him a look of stoic nonchalance. "Yeah?" he answered, combing fingers through his hair.

Yukine scowled. "Where the _hell_ were you the entire night, last night?" he demanded, pounding his fists against his bedsheets. "You didn't come back after your work!"

Yato dumped himself on the floor, on top of a stack of futons. "Iki Hiyori's house."

Yukine stared at his friend for a moment. Then, his mouth fell open as he processed Yato's words. "W- _What?!_ " he burst out, jumping out of his bed. "What were you doing at her _house?_ "

"Sleeping," Yato replied, looking at his friend with bored eyes. He smirked at Yukine's fiery eyes, though he hesitated slightly when he noticed that they were glassy. "Jealous?"

"N-No! But- w-what the hell, Yato!" Yukine barked. "'Sleeping?' Weren't you, y'know, going out for your job? I thought you got hurt, or kidnapped, or something!"

Yato then turned his face to the side with the bruise, giving Yukine the perfect view of the purple splotch on his cheek. "I did."

Yukine's eyes widened, and he got off his bed to take a few steps closer to look. "What the- how? Who did that to you?" he demanded.

"Iki, the tutor," Yato answered flatly, nearly laughing at the flash of surprise that passed over Yukine's face. "I'm kidding. Don't worry about it, Yukine. I just got hurt on the job, you know. It happens."

"It 'happens'?" Yukine mocked, making air-quotes in the air. "It ' _happens'_?! What the hell, dude! You made me worry the entire night, and I woke up to another nightmare 'cause of you!"

Yato's indifferent facade faltered. His eyes widened, and he felt a lump in his throat as he swallowed. "A nightmare," he repeated. Had Yukine worried that much about him? Yato narrowed his eyes. _And I just paraded in, showing off some mysterious bruise._ He grimaced. _What a great friend I am._

"Yes, a nightmare," Yukine replied, condescendingly, curling his hands against his waist. "God, you're so annoying. I have to get out of here." He headed towards the door.

"Hey, hold up," Yato called, reaching out a hand. "Listen, this bruise really isn't that big of a-"

Yukine swiveled to face him. "Not that big of a _deal?_ " he repeated, raising his voice. Was Yato joking? "Not big of a deal? By that definition, neither are my nightmares, or the panic attacks that I get from my amnesia!" He balled his fists into tight, trembling cuffs of rage. "You're such a _liar_!"

"Yukine-"

 _Slam!_

Yato was cut off by the thunderous impact. His hand faltered in the air, and fell to his side. Why couldn't he do anything right? With Yukine, or even the girl, Iki Hiyori?

 _A liar, huh?_

* * *

"Hiyori, did you have a friend over last night?"

Hiyori jumped in her chair. She swiveled to find Masaomi standing in the kitchen doorway, regarding her with suspicious eyes, and she gave him a forced smile. "What are you talking about?"

His eyes narrowed further. "I swear, I heard someone talking in your room late last night. Was there someone in there?"

Hiyori's mouth twitched as she remembered the night before- that she had spent with _Kogami Yato_. There was no way she could tell that to her brother. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, Masaomi," she lied, standing up from her wooden chair. "There weren't-"

"It's not a big deal if you had someone over, Hiyori," he said, shrugging. He walked over the fridge to pick out some breakfast food. "Was it one of those girls in this apartment building, or another new friend?" Not receiving an answer, he turned back to her, narrowing his eyes. "You know, as long as it wasn't a boy."

Hiyori paused in her tracks as she pushed in her chair. Her brother didn't actually know, did he? She turned to face her brother once more. "Don't worry!" Hiyori exclaimed, waving her hands in the air in front of her. "I was just talking to a friend over the phone. Yama- you know, the blonde one? She was busy shopping yesterday, so I just called to see how she was doing." She chuckled. Her brother continued to stare at her with a frown, but he huffed.

"It's fine, Hiyori," he sighed, deciding to let it go. "Don't worry. I know you wouldn't lie after what happened yesterday, with Mom."

Hiyori's smile disappeared. She chuckled nervously as she left the kitchen, feeling her brother's eyes on her as she exited. As she headed down the hall to her room, she rushed in, closing the door behind her.

She let out a breath she had been holding, and observed her room. It was covered in the result of Yato's stay. _That's right_ , she remembered. _He left without waking me up_. With horror, it dawned upon her that her brother could've seen Yato leave their apartment. God, the way she said it, it sounded as if they'd done something perverted! She raised her hands to her cheeks, feeling them begin to heat up. _But no,_ she thought, forcing herself to calm down. _Masaomi is just observant. If he'd seen Kogami-san leave my room, he would've scolded me the moment he saw me_.

As her eyes fell to the makeshift futon bed on the floor, she realized just how lucky she'd been that Masaomi hadn't peeked his head in to wake her up that morning. Her perceptive brother would've easily read through her lies as soon as he saw another futon on the floor. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, and her eyes scanned the room once more. In her stupor after she had woken up, she hadn't even realized that the boy had attempted to make her bed. She smiled.

As she folded the futon over and slid it under her bed, she heard a noise. Thinking it was her imagination, she continued to pack up the first aid kit, but paused when she heard it again.

 _Beep! Beep!_

Hiyori furrowed her brows as she heard beeping noises coming from the direction of her bed. Recognizing the sound of her phone's notification alert, she hurried over to check her cell phone, flopping onto the bed. To her horror, she had one, two, three... no, at least _ten_ messages from Yama, she realized, scrolling through the list of messages. They all read the same- "Hiyori, text me back _immediately_! Right now!"

 _Wait,_ Hiyori thought, looking at her oldest message. _If the oldest message was at 11p.m., then that must mean that Kogami-san_... He must've heard all of the alerts! Why hadn't he said anything? She let out another sigh- he must've been exhausted. Deciding to give into Yama's demands, she pressed call.

 _Ring, ring..._

" _Hiyori!_ " Yama's voice blared through the speaker, making Hiyori wince. _That was fast_ , Hiyori thought.

"Yes, Yama-"

"Oh my God, Hiyori! I can't believe you! Why didn't you tell me!"

Hiyori frowned. "Tell you-"

"You went on a _date!_ With Kogami!"

Hiyori's mouth dropped open. "What?"

She could almost hear her mischievous friend smile through the cell phone. "I saw you right near the Roppongi tower with him! You know, by the clothing stores?"

Hiyori's face turned red. "W-What? No, that wasn't-!"

"Oh, come on Hiyori, don't lie to me!" Yama chided. "I saw you guys there! You know, after your tutoring and all? I told you I'd be shopping!"

Hiyori's eyes widened as she was reminded of her short chat with Yama over the phone. "Wait, I-"

"Ha-ha!" Yama exclaimed, proudly. "I knew it, Hiyori- the heart stealer! How'd you do it so fast, huh? You melted that cold soul in seconds!"

"It wasn't a date!" Hiyori protested. "I was just-"

"If it wasn't a date, then what was it?" Yama cut in.

Hiyori opened her mouth, then closed it, being at a loss for words. She couldn't tell Yama about what Yato had told her, or even what Yukine had told her. _I promised him_. Quickly making up her mind, she said, "He was- he was just showing me around the city!" After a few seconds of silence, Hiyori face palmed- was that the best she could come up with?

"Mmhm," Yama said, smugly. "I'm sure- and what else did you guys do? Platonically make out?"

Hiyori's face turn a shade of deep red, and steam nearly billowed from her ears. "Yama-chan! I'd never-"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Yama acknowledged, laughing. "I'll stop teasing you, for now. But still- I'm keeping an eye on you guys!"

"Yama-chan!" Hiyori protested, fumbling with the sheets on her bed. "Stop it-" she complained, though in a sing-song voice.

"Okay, well, see you on Monday, okay?" Yama said, laughing. Then, she gasped as though she'd reached an epiphany. "Wait! Hiyori, I had to tell you! I actually think _I_ got a date, too!"

"You 'think'?" Hiyori repeated, furrowing her brows. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, while I was shopping, I ran into this _really_ cute boy, and I just started chatting him up, and then he gave me his number!" she burst out without taking a breath. Then, she exhaled. "Like, I don't know! It's not really official or anything. I'll see how it goes."

Hiyori eyebrows rose in surprise. Yama really must be good with boys, after all. "Wow, that was quick," Hiyori acknowledged. "When are you going on a date?"

"Um, I think sometime this week?" Yama answered. "It's not that big- it's just a first date. Anyways, talk to you later! I have to go now!"

"Oh, bye, Yama-chan!"

 _Click._

Hiyori let out a deep sigh. She rolled over so that she was on her stomach, and shut her phone off. _Wait a second,_ she thought _._ She was lying on the bed that Yato had slept on the entire night- and then, she noticed that it smelled _really good_. Taking a deep breath in, she realized that a boy had slept here- a _boy!_ She couldn't help but blush at the thought. It hadn't all just been a figment of her imagination, had it? Some kind of strange dream? But, no, it couldn't have- her bed smelled different- almost like what she would expect to smell by a fresh lake, populated by hundreds and hundreds of blooming oak wood trees. A sight she would expect to see in a place like Hokkaido during the summer.

"Hiyori?"

Her brother's voice interrupted her pleasant thoughts, drawing her attention. She quickly covered the bed, as if he would be able to tell what happened the previous night just by looking at it. However, following his disapproving gaze, she realized that she had forgotten to clean up the emergency aid kit on the floor.

"Um, Masaomi, that's-" she began.

"You have a visitor," he cut in, frowning. "It's a- it's a _boy_."

Her eyes widened. "W-Who is it?"

"I didn't recognize him, so I told him to wait outside," Masaomi answered. Hiyori stood up, brushing off her skirt. "He must be a middle-schooler- blond, strange-colored eyes."

Hiyori gasped. "Yukine-kun!" she exclaimed, passing by her brother and hurrying down the hallway. Her brother quickly followed suit.

"And who, exactly, is this Yukine-kun?" Masaomi asked, tracking Hiyori down the hallway.

"The boy I'm tutoring!" Hiyori answered, stepping down to the shoe area at the entrance of the apartment. She turned around, opening the door with a smile. "Yukine-kun!"

Yukine, having been in a daze, was caught off guard, and jumped as Hiyori called his name. "H-Hey!" Yukine awkwardly responded, waving. Noticing the intimidating male figure standing behind Hiyori with a stern glare, he felt a bead of sweat run down in his scalp. "I was, um- I needed to talk to you about my homework!"

Hiyori's eyes widened. "Oh!" she exclaimed. She took a step back, waving him in. "Oh, come in! This is, um, my brother, Masaomi. Masaomi, this is Sagami Yukine-kun, who I just started tutoring yesterday," she introduced, satisfied that they both acknowledged each other with a nod. "Masaomi, can you please leave us alone? I want to talk to Yukine-kun privately."

Giving Yukine one last, piercing glare, Masaomi left them at the entrance to the apartment. Hiyori then turned back to Yukine, cocking her head curiously. "What happened, Yukine-kun?" she asked. She took a step backwards. "Oh, and please, come in."

He walked inside, head hanging in shame. What was he supposed to do now? He usually went to his friends for advice, but in his anger, the only person he thought he could go to for help was Hiyori- especially after hearing Yato's story. Well, it also wasn't like he could tell his friends about Yato in the first place; he usually had to keep that stuff to himself. He shuffled his feet, waiting for Hiyori to set a pair of slippers in front of him. "I-I had a fight with Yato," he answered. To her disdainful look, he added, "again."

"Oh, what happened this time?" Hiyori asked, standing and leaning against the hallway.

"It was just- in the morning, when he came back." He blushed, remembering what Yato had said. "Is it- is it true that he spent the night here?"

Hiyori swiveled around, glancing behind her. Her brother hadn't heard that, had he? "Yukine-kun!" she exclaimed in a hushed tone, putting a finger to her lips. "Sh! I don't want my brother to hear!" Her cheeks were slightly flushed.

"Oh! Sorry," Yukine replied, quietly. Noticing her pink cheeks, he narrowed his eyes.

Hiyori lowered her gaze. "Yes, Kogami-san was here last night," she answered, sighing. She paused. How much could she tell Yukine about what happened with Yato last night? Making up her mind, she went on. "After his job, he was- he was injured, and so when I came across him on the street, I had to help him. He didn't let me take him to the hospital, so I just decided to... let him rest in my home."

"Oh," Yukine replied, processing the information she had given him. _How the hell did she get Yato to come into her house?_ "Was he okay?"

Hiyori winced. "Not really," she answered. "He was bleeding a lot from his mouth, but luckily, none of his teeth were out of place. The bruising from his face was bad, but I thought it was light enough for me to take care of it with some ice and pain relief pills." She paused, thinking back on the details. Noticing his bewildered look, she smiled. "I want to be a doctor when I'm older, so I'm a little knowledgeable on medical terminology."

Yukine's eyebrows rose. "Wow," he mustered. "So, he just stayed over for the night?" Hiyori nodded, and he continued with a confused expression. "And your... brother? He was okay with that?"

Hiyori shook her head. "No, I slipped Yato in before my brother came home," she answered, letting out a giggle. "I had to hide him in my room. When I woke up in the morning, though, he was gone. He was lucky that my brother didn't see him leave."

Yukine blushed- Yato had spent the night in her _room?_ Then, shaking his head, he reverted to his previous frustrated expression. "But Yato and I got in a fight again this morning," he said, finally. "After he got home-"

"He got home safely?" Hiyori exclaimed. A smile grew across her face when he nodded. "That's great!"

"Yeah," Yukine bit out. Despite her cheerful expression, he went on with a grimace. "Um, not really. I kinda- kicked myself out of the house, and came here first thing." He looked off to the side. Hesitating, he clenched his fists, and blurted out, "is it okay if I stay here for a few days?"

Hiyori's eyebrows rose, and she lightly gasped. "Stay over?"

"Yeah," Yukine admitted, refusing to meet her eyes. _This is so embarrassing._ "Yato and I just- don't get along, at all."

She was considering her options; how could she explain this to her brother? Where would Yukine stay in the house; for how long? Then, a sudden realization came to her. If her brother tried to disagree with her on the subject, she could easily bring up his white lie to her about their mother's health. _It would work with Masaomi, wouldn't it?_

Yukine clenched his eyes closed, every second that Hiyori didn't answer making him a nervous wreck. He heard her shifting her feet, and he squinted one eye open. "Yes," she answered.

Yukine felt his heart skip a beat. "Wait- really? For real?"

Hiyori smiled. "Yes, Yukine-kun, you can. As long as I convince my brother, of course."

Yukine felt a surge of joy rush through his chest. He would have never expected her to accept so easily, and so quickly! Seeing Hiyori giggle at his cheerful expression, he similarly fell into a fit of laughter.

"But," Hiyori said, making Yukine's chuckles stop. "Only if you tell your mother about the panic attack from your amnesia the other day."

Yukine's eyes widened. "What? W-Why?"

Hiyori crossed her arms over her chest. "Not saying anything is, basically, the same as lying. You have to tell your mother about something like that. I think you should get proper treatment for it."

Yukine felt something akin to panic bristle in his chest. "Yato helps me with these things," he admitted, looking away from Hiyori. "That's part of the reason why my mom chose him, through this weird process that she made up, to be my tutor and part time amnesia helper."

"Does it work?" Hiyori asked.

Yukine paused. He'd never actually thought about it. _Did Yato actually help him out with panic attacks?_ The occurrences of the morning came to mind, but memories from before- of Yato calming him down, patting his back and offering reassuring words- also flashed through his thoughts.

He wanted to be spiteful and say no. What came out of his mouth, though, was a barely audible, "I think so."

Hiyori smiled. "That's good," she hummed, pleased. "But, you also have to promise to talk to your mother, okay? Then, you can stay over at my house."

Yukine cracked a small grin. "O-Okay."

* * *

Two days.

Hiyori twirled a pencil in her hand as she stared out the window of the classroom. It was already the last period of the day, and she hadn't seen Yato at all since the weekend. He hadn't shown up to school at all on either Monday or Tuesday. Was it her fault? Had she done something wrong when taking care of him? Had her decision to take in Yukine over the past few days been of ill judgement? He wouldn't skip school because of her, would he? He certainly didn't seem like the type of boy who would-

 _Slam!_

The sound of the classroom door being thrown open jolted her out of her thoughts, making her swivel to the source of the noise. To her shock, it was Yato, standing at the doorway. As soon as they met eyes, she felt something rise in her chest, and she watched as he glanced away from her.

When he neared his desk, directly behind hers, she opened her mouth to speak. "Where were you?"

"I could ask the same thing," he retorted, setting his bag down on the floor. Though he already knew the answer, he continued. "You know, about Yukine."

Hiyori's brows rose. "I- that wasn't-" she stopped herself. _I can't put the blame all on Yukine_. "That's right- he's staying at my home now."

Yato frowned. Did she have to be so honest about everything? Yato had assumed that she would at least cover for Yukine, though Yukine had already told him over text where he was staying.

Yato finally met her gaze again, though his eyes flittered about and refused to maintain contact with hers for long. Yato gulped, sitting down in his chair with an air of nonchalance. "While you were having fun with Yukine, I was recuperating," he answered. Noticing her blank stare, he went on. "You know, with the bruise and all."

Hiyori gasped as she remembered his injury. She shifted in her seat to check both of his cheeks, but there was still no sign of the purple discoloration. It was gone already! Under her scrutinizing gaze, a light blushed began to dust across his cheeks- though Hiyori did not notice this predicament. Her brows furrowed. "How is it... gone so soon?"

"I have my ways," Yato replied, shifting in his seat. He tried to play off his self-consciousness by gesticulating. "It's all good now."

Hiyori narrowed her eyes at him, her grip on his desk tightening. "Are you really sure?"

 _This is awkward as hell_ , he thought, hands fidgeting under the table. No one had cared so much about his health; other than Yukine, of course- though Yato successfully hid most of his pain behind closed doors. Yato started to speak, but stumbled on his words. "I-" he stammered, grunting. _Fuck, my face is getting hotter._ "I'm sure."

Hiyori stared at him for not a second longer before sighing and relaxing her shoulders. "That's a relief," she said. She turned and smiled at him. "I'm glad you're back!"

Yato's eyes widened, and he felt his heart begin to thud in his chest. No one said things like that to him. No one- not even Yukine openly admitted to things like that. In an effort to break the tension that had formed over them, he decided to tease her. "You don't have to make it so obvious, y'know."

She slowly turned to him, furrowing her brows. "Make what obvious?" she asked.

He rolled his eyes. To his irritation, his heart continued to race in his chest- which wasn't supposed to happen. That was how he was supposed to make _her_ feel. _Wait, why do I want to make_ her _feel that way?_ "That you've never had a boy in your room before."

Hiyori's eye twitched. "A-A guy, in my room," she repeated, to which Yato nodded, ushering her to continue. She stood up, a vehement look crossing over her face. "Of course I haven't!" she shouted, her hands shaking beside her. "How could you even suggest such a thing! You're such a pervert! I was just trying to be nice!" Hiyori huffed, swiveling away and sitting in her seat again. _I was just trying to be friendly, and he acts immature,_ she thought with a frown. _Boys._

On the outside, Yato appeared calm and collected. That was not how he felt internally, however. His heartbeat was a mess, and every time he swallowed, he felt a lump in his throat.

During the whole period, all Yato could hear in his head were Hiyori's words, repeating over and over again in his head. He didn't pay attention to what the teacher was saying- not that he did usually, but today was especially so. He didn't even know what subject the teacher was talking about. Every time he heard her words in his head, his chest would twist and get warmer, and he'd grab his cheeks and feel the heat there, too.

Yato was elated to hear the chime of the last bell- he was free. Finally free, from the horrors of the school and the stupid mantra in his head. It had been getting excruciating.

Hiyori fiddled with her cell phone as she packed up, and she realized that she had gotten more texts from Yama, again. What did her overexcitable friend want this time? Before Hiyori had the chance to read them all, however, she heard the _bang!_ of the classroom door opening, and a piercing scream.

" _Hiyori!"_ The guilty party- unsurprisingly, Yama- bolted over to Hiyori, knocking over several chairs in the process. "Hurry! Let's go!"

Hiyori's brows knitted in confusion. "What are you talking ab-"

She was cut off by Yama's unstoppable mouth. "The date! Let's go, now!"

"What? A date?" Hiyori spluttered, being pulled along by Yama's tight grip on her wrist. "I never heard-"

Yama's eyes flashed at her, and she gestured to the door with her head. "I'll explain later!" she insisted, tugging on her friend's arm. "Just, come on!"

"Okay, okay!" Hiyori accepted Yama's pleads, allowing herself to be led out of the room.

As the door slammed closed, a certain pair of sapphire eyes watched the scene with an unreadable expression.

Yato wouldn't ever admit it in a million years, but he felt something tighten in his chest as he'd seen Hiyori being tagged along on a date. His fists clenched at his sides, and the feeling of helplessness dawned upon him.

 _Did he even matter to her, or to Yukine?_

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sorry to say that the next chapter will take a while to complete. I'm predicting two weeks, because school is a real pain in the ass… Also, I'm taking 2 SATs in the first week of March, so that's fun! x33 (the sarcasm is dripping off the page here)**

 **-I'm thinking of making an Ao3 account. Is the main difference between and Ao3 that there's basically more smut there, and generally older writers?**

 **\- I LOVE Haikyuu!, which I just started watching about a week ago, and I'm in the middle of the second season, and I... love it. I feel literal motherly affection towards Hinata, idk what's happening to me. Also, screw Oikawa. I'm also seriously considering writing a fanfic for KageHina, because it's amazing.**

 **-Apparently my blog is now multi-fandom because I'm too lazy to organize. I will probably post a spoiler in a week for the next chapter there. Also, I was thinking about changing my URL (writeyatori) to a more ambiguous one so it's clear that it's not just dedicated to noragami posts.**

 **Have a nice day! Until next time C:**

 **~exie**


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